Murder Man
by Killer Instincts
Summary: No longer a member of humanity, he’s cut himself off from society. She’s the underdog, trodden by life. Neither one is a hero, but that’ll change when they join forces to fight an evil before their town, maybe even the world, is devoured by a massacre
1. Nobody is Going to Believe this

I'm BACK! Took my like a year, huh? Okay, for right now I'm going through this story (not my other ones) and correcting a lot of grammar…changing dialogue to sound more…mature in a sense, and trying to make the story have and keep a flow…it seems so choppy to me now that I reread it. I've matured a great deal over the last year…and I want this story to mirror that…not to be as 'goofy' like Rumors Ruin Reputations. I'll start putting new chapters and stuff up within the next few days, I have to proof read all my old chapters first. I'm a little rusty…so bare with me. I think this is the only story I'm going to continue, though. As for Ecstasy…it depends. I'm not sure if that story is really that good or not.

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"If we could read the secret history of our enemies,

We should find in each man's life,

Enough suffering and sorrow to disarm all hostility."

_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

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**CHAPTER ONE: Nobody is Going to Believe This.**

A young teenage girl who looked to be somewhere around sixteen or seventeen was slowly crept along an abandoned graveyard, scrambling for cover behind an old and worn tombstone; fearing that the neighbors might see her. The night was cold; and the wind was harsh, whipping at her bare arms and cheeks. It was almost chilling to the bone.

Kagome Higurashi was your run of the mill 'misguided' teenager. She was known about the streets of her hometown Salem, Massachusetts as unwanted garbage. She lived with her mother, but in Kagome's eyes, she lived alone. For as long as Kagome could remember her mother had never been at home that much. For her entire life, Kagome had always had to fend for herself, even if that meant stealing a hotdog or hamburger from the local deli…sometimes she was forced to result even lower.

Many of the town's people felt sorry for her; but most of them treated her like a thorn in their side. It seemed like almost everyday a kid at school picked a fight with Kagome, sometimes for no reason at all. Of course Kagome being Kagome, she really didn't care, she always ended up winning the fights anyway; street smarts had pretty much been forced into her veins when she was a small child.

She was a pretty girl; don't get me wrong, she had a pretty face and a shapely figure. She had bright green eyes and long silky black hair. In all honesty, Kagome was one of the more attractive girls in her high school, but her reputation overshadowed her beauty.

Kagome's long black hair and bushy bangs hid her pale face in the dark night air as she eyed the large broken down mansion surrounded by the rundown cemetery. The _Osuwari Estate_, one of the many 'haunted' houses in Salem, it was the perfect haven for her, she was sure she could fine a large amount antiques to barter off at a pawn shop. It was said that a horrid creature of some sort lived inside that manor; he was supposed to be some kind of psycho killer who sucked the blood of his victims or something like that…_yeah right_. Kagome didn't believe in the old myth, it was just all stupid superstition. That's what Salem was known for wasn't it? It's superstitious nature?

Kagome had been in the old house many times; she had even found a _secret_ entrance that opened up to the basement, though she had to admit she'd never made it past the boiler room, she had never even seen what the upstairs looked like, though she promised herself that tonight she would find out.

Kagome smirked as she slowly lurked around the corner of the old unkempt building. All the windows and doors were boarded up, but of course, she knew something everyone else didn't. She tiptoed up to the back porch, and slipped between a crack in the lattice underpinning. There she found a hoard of deserted spider webs and musky dirt and dust. She took her hands and began pushing the soil aside until trapdoor appeared underneath the rotted wooden porch. Kagome cautiously lifted the small door and stared down at the slanted stairs that lead into the cellar.

"Here goes." Kagome gulped as she awkwardly climbed into the stairway, taking her first step onto the stair. They were slippery and moldy from the recent winter rain. She eased her way down them, as they creaked with her every movement.

She let out a sigh of relief when her tennis shoe-covered feet landed safely on the dirt floor.

The boiler room was dark and damp, it was almost impossible to see your hand in front of your face, but miraculously Kagome made it across the underground room safely before she eased up the steps heading towards the upper part of the estate. She pulled at the door only to find that it was padlocked on the other side. She stepped down one step and grabbed onto the railing for balance before she gave the door a good kick, swinging it wide open.

Kagome hesitantly peeked her head through the new entrance, a slight chill shivered down her spine. _Okay so maybe I am afraid…_ the place was spooky looking like those houses you see in all the old Dracula movies. It had an eerie aspect to it. But Kagome being the stupid 'brave' person that she was, swallowed up her fear and pushed herself out into the open; accidentally _slamming_ the door behind her so loudly that it fell off its rusty hinges.

"Great!" Kagome murmured under her breath, "If _Johnny the Homicidal Maniac_ didn't know I was here before, he does now." She gazed around the room in awe. She was in the living room, or at least she thought it was anyway. It was a large room that you could tell in its day had been very elegant, with its big chandelier and her Persian rug, but unfortunately, everything had become gray and covered in dust and cobwebs over the years.

"This place isn't so haunted." Kagome laughed as her 'cold feet' washed away. "I bet there's all kinds of antiques and expensive things here I can make some money off of…it's not like anyone will miss it." She smirked.

Kagome walked across the room and entered the hallway.

"Sweet!" She ran up to a statue of a samurai's armor, including helmet, shield, and all. "I wonder how much I could get for you." She waved her hand in front of the statue's face, or at least where the face would have been. She giggled as thoughts of the manikin coming to life filled her head. Kagome was just about to pull a necklace off from around the warrior's neck when she heard footsteps coming from the upper level. She ran behind the armor and hid as she gazed up at the ceiling fearfully. _Someone's upstairs_.

She gulped; _what if that psycho killer thing really does exist…you're kidding me right, it's probably just some poor homeless guy who found a way in just like I did. I bet he's harmless or maybe it's a stray cat seeking shelter from the cold. That's it…I'm sure._ Kagome laughed nervously at herself as she tentatively stepped out from behind the samurai. Her conscience told her to run like mad but her ego refused to let her do it.

"I'm not afraid!" She coaxed as she skeptically moved up the grand staircase, making sure to be as silent as possible. Everything inside of her was telling her she was doing something stupid but her curiosity got the better of her; she had to know for certain who or what was upstairs. Once she had reached the second floor, she glided down the long and stretching hallway very quietly checking every room as she went.

Kagome reached the fifth door on the right, twisting the doorknob she pushed it open and gazed around the dark room. She could barely see; the only light was the mild amount of moonlight that seeped through the gapes in the boards on the window. Kagome made out a candle on a small round table sitting in the corner. She grabbed it, pulling a lighter out of her jeans' pocket and lit the wax stick. She gasped when she saw a large wooden coffin, which she had originally thought was a coffee table sitting in the middle of the floor.

"It's just a casket." Kagome persuaded with herself. "Nothing but a harmless wooden box…nothing deadly…except the fact that a dead body's supposed to be in there." She whined as she stared down at its lush velvety red interior.

Kagome glanced around the room holding the candle out in front of her. She glimpsed down at a pile of wooden railroad stakes in the corner and above that, a gothic cross hung on the door. And to Kagome's horror there was a giant red stain on the carpet right beside the sarcophagus that suspiciously looked like blood to her. "Why do I have the feeling Dracula is going to pop out any second now and **kill** me." Kagome growled sarcastically.

"I'm not Dracula." A cold voice echoed from the doorway. It was a man's voice, a deep melancholy voice that sounded so sad and yet so stern and dangerous that it made her heart stop. It was hoarse and menacing.

Kagome jumped from the intruder's sudden appearance, but she quickly regained her cocky attitude. "So…then who the heck are you?" Kagome spat coldly, but despite her rash words she backed away from the figure who was hid in the shadows. She held out her candle to get a good look at his face but an abrupt burst of wind through the cracks in the window blew out her small flame.

Kagome glared unfaltering at the unidentifiable figure. "Well are we just gonna stand around or are you gonna tell me who you are?"

The man ignored her rude words. "Why've you broken into my home?"

Kagome stood there speechless. _He has a point; wait a second…_ "What do you mean your home? This place is supposed to be abandoned. What are _you_ doing here?" Kagome snapped.

"I live here."

"I said 'this place is supposed to be abandoned!'" She put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot on the ground. _Who is this guy? Who does he think he is_?

"Well it's not." The voice sighed softly almost in a whiny sort of way.

Kagome stared at the figure with a raised eyebrow. "So who are you anyway…are you that psycho killer or whatever?"

"No…" The figure sighed as he took a step into the room, walking into the moonlight. Kagome relit her candle before gazing back up at the man. Her eyes widened. He was…gorgeous. He had long waist length hair that was as black as ebony and dull soulless amber eyes that seemed to mesmerize you if you stared into them. His face was flawless with the exception of a small scar under his right eye; he reflected the kind of image you get of the hero from an action-adventure novel. He had strong arms and a carved torso that shown through his black T-shirt. He literally looked like some kind of famous person or something, with his denim jeans and his slightly tattoo covered arms, but he wasn't a grown man like she had originally thought upon seeing him. Kagome guessed he was maybe seventeen or eighteen, possibly even in his early twenties. He looked harmless to her; sure he had 'vampire' written all over him, but he didn't seem very dangerous.

"How old are you?" Kagome asked quizzically.

The _boy_ just smiled sadly. "A lot older than you think."

"Oh…how old?"

He rolled his eyes. "Do you always ask rude questions when you trespass onto other people's property? I would like you to leave now, please?"

Kagome ignored him. "So…uh, what's your name anyway?"

"If I tell you will you leave?" He moaned.

She smirked. "Nope…but it's a start."

"I'm Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha…that's a weird name."

"I'm so glad you like it." He groaned sarcastically.

"I'm Kagome." She offered him her hand, but he just stared at it.

"You're an awfully friendly burglar."

Kagome laughed nervously. "Uh…yeah. Sorry about that." _Please don't press charges. Please don't press charges. Please don't press charges_. "I didn't know anyone actually lived here." Kagome stared down at the coffin guiltily.

"It's fine…but, you should leave now."

Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha giving him the puppy dog eyes, which basically was asking 'do I have too?' It was so cold outside, and oddly enough it was warm inside the manor.

Inuyasha's stern look remained unyielding.

Kagome gave up and nodded as she slowly walked passed him. "You know?" She sighed. "You're not exactly what I expected."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed worriedly. "What do you mean?"

"Well look at you." Kagome giggled. "Jeans and a T-shirt, Tattoos…you're not exactly the vampire I expected."

Inuyasha gulped before he turned around and stared Kagome in the face. "I'm not a vampire." He stuttered.

Kagome just giggled. "Dude, a casket is in the middle of your bedroom floor. We live in Salem, it's kind of a no brainer." She smiled at him. "So you're like into that whole occult thing right…I mean you're not really a **vampire,** vampire. There's no such thing impossible…unless you're one of those really delusional people who actually believe they're vampires...if so, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Oh…." Inuyasha stared at Kagome in awe. She was just a normal human girl and yet she wasn't scared of him, though she was a little clueless. _Occult? She was the one acting delusional._

Kagome held her hand up beside her, giving him the scout's honor. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you being up here or your little 'secret'."

Inuyasha sighed. _This girl thinks I'm human…dimwit_. He smirked. "Leave now, Miss."

Kagome gave a small gasp as she completely disregarded his command; instead she stared at his teeth in a perplexed manner. "Whoa…you have fangs." She leaned in closer and stared at the sharp canine like teeth. "A girl at my school has a pair of plaster ones just like these. She got them made especially for her. They like glue onto your teeth. Where'd you get yours made?"

"…"

Kagome, neglecting to think about his privacy; reached up and touched the sharp point of one of his fangs. She let out a load shriek before she jerked her finger away, holding it close to her. She stared down at the abnormally large amount of blood trickling down her index finger. "They…they're…re-real." She stuttered. She didn't know how she knew, but the instant his fang cut into her skin she knew…she knew exactly what he was. "Your…you're a, a…vamp-vampire." And with that she fainted.

Inuyasha stared down at the raven-haired girl's lifeless body. "Females." He muttered before he hoisted the girl up into his arms with ease. He had half a mind just to throw her out the window, but for some odd reason he liked her. He stared down at the crook of her neck, knowing he could have a bite, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. This annoying little chatterbox, despite her ill-mannered questions and impolite comments, had grown on him. Little did Kagome know; Inuyasha had observed her over the years, walking past his house or sneaking around in his cemetery. He had literally watched her and the rest of the town grow up. Many times he had watched kids from Kagome's school follow her home, trying to pick a fight with her inside his gloomy graveyard, and every time he had watched her end up the victor...even though she cheated. She was a tough girl; she definitely had a strong will and a stubborn personality, sure she was a little bit of a kleptomaniac and very independent, but she seemed sweet really deep, deep, deep down inside.

He sighed as he carried her down the stairs and laid her down on the couch in the living room. He quickly lit all the lanterns and candles that were dispersed throughout the great room; filling the den with a warm yellow glow.

"You sure are a nuisance." He muttered before he journeyed into the rusty old kitchen and returned with a wet washcloth and surprisingly a Band-Aid, _why a vampire has a bandage the world may never know_. He placed the washcloth on her forehead; he wasn't sure what it was supposed to do but he remembered once when he was human, his mother did the same to him when he had fallen ill.

Inuyasha cautiously went about the task of putting a Band-Aid on the bleeding finger of an unconscious person…_trust me it's not an easy task, especially if you think of blood as a meal_.

"You stupid girl," he grumbled once he had finished. He smiled down at her, giving him a weird feeling, like he was looking down at himself or something. He could see himself befriending someone like her, which of course doesn't happen very often between…individuals as different as these two. He shuttered. Oh yeah, when she wakes up he was sending her packing.

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Hours later Kagome groggily sat up, letting the now dried washcloth fall to her lap. She dizzily gazed out at her surroundings, her vision too blurry to really focus. "Where am I?" She moaned, not really expecting an answer.

"Where do you think?" A voice called from across the room.

Kagome glanced in the direction she had heard someone speak. "I think I just had a really freaky nightmare." She moaned as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh really…care to share?"

Kagome nodded as she slowly eased onto her feet, right before her knees gave-way and she fell down to the dusty carpeted floor. "You were in it. I…I think…this-this…"she froze instantly, right in the middle of helping herself up. She stared down at the Band-Aid placed on her index finger, horror in her eyes. "It wasn't a dream was it?" she frantically glanced over at Inuyasha and whimpered.

Inuyasha smirked as he went to her side and cautiously helped her to her feet. "You're something else; you know that?" He chuckled.

Kagome nodded, biting her lower lip.

Inuyasha guided the distressed girl back onto the couch. She stared up at him, her sight finally returning to her.

"I'm gonna go ahead and tell you right now you're not getting a bite from me without a fight." She snapped at him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed as he handed her a glass of water. She stared down at the clear liquid suspiciously. _I bet it's poisoned_.

"Please Miss, if I had wanted to have a taste of you I would have already done so." He gave her a small cocky smirk.

Kagome glared at him, her courage running back to her by leaps and bounds. "What am I not good enough?" she snarled.

Inuyasha snickered as he sat down in an old armchair diagonal from the human girl. "Aren't we the eager one."

Kagome gulped and shook her head frantically. "No."

The bloodsucker smirked and shook his head in disdain. "You've got to be the weirdest company I've ever had…of course you're probably the only company I've ever had." He thought aloud.

"Does it hurt…becoming a 'you know what', is it really painful?" She asked bashfully.

He gazed down at the floor in deep thought. "Why should I tell you?"

She glared at him. "Because I asked."

He sighed; he'd liked her better when she was unconscious. "I don't remember. It's been so long."

"That's sad." Kagome glanced down at her shoes timidly. "Hey." She stared back up at him, "why didn't you bite me?"

Inuyasha snorted as he stood to his feet; he gazed out at the rising sunrise through a hole in the boards over the fore-window. "You're not in my diet." He laughed.

"Diet?" Kagome questioned. "You don't eat…humans?"

"No." He sighed, his gaze never breaking away from the brilliant dawn flowing through the opening in the lumber.

"Then what do you eat?"

He turned to her, staring at her with sorrowful eyes. "Cattle."

"Cattle…you mean you eat poor, defenseless cows?"

Inuyasha sighed as he messaged him temples. "Would you rather me eat you?"

Kagome shook her head violently before she stood to her feet. She calmly walked up beside him. "So you're some kind of good _Samaritan_ vampire aren't you?"

He nodded. "Got a problem with it?" he snapped at her, getting annoyed by her constant chattering. _Oh yeah, should have thrown her out the window when I had the chance_.

"But…I thought vampires were all supposed to be evil."

Sweatdrop. Inuyasha shook his head no, staring down at the girl before him. "We're not evil, not all of us anyway. It's just legend." He put his hand out in a stray beam of sunlight, forcing Kagome to gasp in fear until she saw his hand was unharmed. "Some of us are good and some are bad. Many things you've heard about us are not true…like the myth that we can't go out into the sun, untrue. 'Only those that have drunk the blood of man are banished to the shadows'."

Kagome stared up into his face in awe as he kept his gaze on his hand. "Wow…being a vampire…must be really weird…you're the first one I've ever met." She examined him, scanning the poor guy from head to toe. "I didn't think they actually existed to be perfectly honest." She gave him a goofy grin. "It sounds really cool…I wish I was one." _That did it_.

Inuyasha turned on her, grabbing her arms and glaring angrily into the raven-haired girl's eyes. "Don't ever say that again." He screamed harshly, forcing her to jerk free and back away fearfully. "Get out of here now!" He ordered coldly but she didn't move; instead her stubbornness kicked in.

"Excuse me, Mister Grumpy Pants. What's your problem?" She shouted furiously. "I don't know what crawled up your ass and died, but you don't have to be so damn rude."

"Rude? Me? Rude? You're the one who won't leave…and it's _my_ house!"

"I'm not going anywhere." She roared. "You're just gonna have to bite me!"

"That's fine with me!"

Kagome smirked as she titled her head to the side and swept her hair away from her neck. "Go ahead. Do it. I dare you."

He gaped down at the crook of her neck. "…" He couldn't do it.

Kagome smiled triumphantly as she straightened her head back to its original position. "I figured as much, you goody-goody."

Inuyasha growled at her, she knew she had power over him…_women and power, not a good mix_.

"So..." Kagome sighed as she collapsed onto the lush couch cushion. "You don't remember if it hurt becoming a vampire…do you remember anything before you became all…Mr. Fang-y?"

Inuyasha stared down at her skeptically. "Bits and pieces." _Please just leave. Leave me in peace._

Kagome smiled. "Like what?"

He groaned, as despite his wishes of secrecy he sat back down in his seat, "What do you want to know?"

Kagome smiled at him as she propped her feet up on the coffee table and took a swig of her water. "First things first. Just how old are you exactly?" _There's no getting rid of her now is there_?

Inuyasha closed his eyes, deep in concentration. "I was born in 1948…which date exactly I'm no longer sure…" he began rubbing his temples with his index fingers. " I was 'bitten' in 1966…so I'd say I'm technically in my mid to late fifties."

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "You look like you're eighteen."

Inuyasha snorted as he took a sip of beer from his Budweiser can. "Shocking ain't it?"

Kagome nodded. "You're old enough to be my grandfather."

He smirked, reliving old memories in his head. "Knowing me I could be."

She eyed him suspiciously.

"Just kidding." He sighed. "Anything _else_ you want to know?"

"Well for one thing…I thought vampires drink blood not beer." She stared at the can in his hand, which just made him laugh harder.

"Another one of the many things you've heard about us that is not true. Blood is like an elixir to us. We cannot survive without it. It is what makes us immortal. But that doesn't mean we can no longer enjoy the things we used to eat and drink when we were human, on the contrary, Ms. Hirugashi." He leaned in, placing the beer on the coffee table in front of her feet. "Think of it this way; what's the point of living forever if you can't enjoy it?"

She thought for a moment and then nodded. "So why are you a good vampire? I mean isn't it like some kind of rebellious act against some vampire code or something?"

He stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Vampire code?" He snickered. "There's no such thing…not that I know of anyway."

"So why are you good then?"

Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure exactly. I've been told it was because of the way I 'died'."

"The way you died? What do you mean?"

"According to…someone I once knew, if a human becomes a vampire willingly or out of greed…then their hearts become black as devils and they loose their soul, turning them into blood thirsty animals…this can also occur to good vampires if they drink human blood. But if you became one unwillingly or out of selflessness, and restrain your urge to drink human blood your soul stays intact."

"How can you become a vampire out of selflessness?" She asked doubtfully.

The vampire leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, crossing his arms behind his head. _God this girl never stops with the questions…do I really have to answer them? If I want to get ride of her_. "Well it doesn't happen often. But I've heard of one instance where there was this one vampire who had two lovers or whatever locked up, threatening to turn the girl into a vampire, the boy caring for the girl's safety took her place instead."

Kagome picked up Inuyasha's can and stared at it. "Well that doesn't sound that bad, if the guy became a good vampire, then the girl and guy could still be together in the end."

"You're forgetting something…a vampire lives forever, they're immortal, but a human only lives for a short lifetime. The girl grew old and died, while the boy would have had to go on living eternally. Not to mention that particular story took place during the seventeenth century. Back in those days vampires and witches and anyone even remotely related to the darkness they were murdered…burned at the stake, hung, sent to the iron maiden or guillotine; you get the picture…so both boy and girl ended up six feet under in the end."

Kagome gulped. "They killed him…that's horrible."

Inuyasha sighed. "Yeah well, that's life."

"So how did you become a vampire?"

Inuyasha's glared at the human girl. "None of your damn business."

Kagome gave him a wry and threatening look. "I'll stake you if you don't tell me."

He snorted. "Is that a threat?"

"Damn straight…now just tell me already."

He grumbled something about pesky 'females' before his eyes grew sad and he began to gaze at the floor, "I died trying to save a girl I once knew. You happy now?"

"Oh." Kagome watched him sadly. "Who was she, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Her name was Kikyo." He stared up at Kagome. "She was my Fiancée."

"What happened to her?"

He sighed, "She died in the accident." Kagome nodded, knowing that her questions were disturbing him but he continued anyway. "We were attacked that night…it was just the two of us…walking along the mansion's grounds. Then Sesshomaru…my brother, jumped out of nowhere and attacked us. It wasn't until later that I found out he'd been turned into a vampire…and had killed our entire family before he sought out Kikyo and I. I fought him, but no matter how hard I tried he kept going after Kikyo. Sesshomaru had always had a thing for her ever since we were younger, and he had always hated me because she had chosen me. "

He paused and then continued. "Finally when Sesshomaru leapt out to bite Kikyo I turned to her and yelled at her to run…but it was too late. My brother had brought a couple of his 'friends'. They'd already killed her."

Kagome covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide in horror. "I'm so sorry."

But he just continued. "I remember…when I saw her body lying on the ground." Inuyasha's eyes grew painful as he lost himself in his memory. "I remember seeing all those monsters feasting on her…and I…I just lost it. I cried out and began kicking the demons off of her; I scrambled to her side. My face covered with blood. And as I laid there holding onto her I felt my brother sink his teeth into me." Inuyasha pounded his fist angrily. "That's when I completely went over the edge, I killed him. I killed my own flesh and blood…breaking his neck in two. When I had realized what I had done, I fell to my knees and…and just laid there on the ground as rain poured all around me. There was at least five to six vampires left, so I laid perfectly still and gave up…I closed my eyes, and readied myself to die, embracing death…so I could be with Kikyo again."

Inuyasha glared angrily as he stood to his feet and kicked the coffee table clear across the room, smashing it into the wall. "But they didn't kill me." He screamed. "They condemned me to hell! Instead they made me what I am today…a devil." He fell to the floor, beating his knuckles into his knees.

Kagome stood abruptly, running to his side. "Now wait a minute." She yelled at him before she grabbed his face forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Listen here, quit feeling sorry for yourself. I don't know what it feels like to be immortal, or to kill someone; but I do know what it's like to loose someone and give up. I may have just met you, and even thought you're a vampire, you don't sound like a monster."

"That's just it." Inuyasha growled. "When I became a vampire I became a killer. I killed them, you stupid girl…every last one of them."

She didn't listen to him, as her mother's intuition kicked in. "You're not a monster. You're a good _person._ From what it sounds like, you fought to save someone's life…you didn't succeed, but you tried…it's not your fault. You didn't kill your brother. How can you kill something if it's already dead?"

"By breaking its neck, we may be immortal but we're not Energizer Bunnies."

"He was dead to begin with."

"Kikyo wasn't!" He protested angrily.

"Stop it. Stop carrying her death on your shoulders…it wasn't you fault."

Inuyasha stared up into Kagome's eyes. "Oh what would you know?" He spat. _Oops._

Kagome slapped him clear across the face, her eyes blaring. "Excuse me you over grown bloodsucker; I don't care how sad of a story you have…you shouldn't feel so damn guilty about everything. Get over it…yeah I'm sure you loved her…and I'm sure you felt sorry for your brother and all those other vampires…but it was over fifty years ago." She slapped him again before she stood up, towering over the vampire boy. It thoroughly pissed her off when people did nothing but feel sorry for themselves all day…she had learned from her own experiences that there was no surviving on your own if you couldn't be strong.

"I'm leaving." She screamed as she stormed up to the front door and kicked it open, breaking it and the boards over top of it down.

"You broke my door." Inuyasha gasped. "You broke _another_ door."

Kagome turned around, standing in the doorway. "Tell me." She snapped. "For a creature of the night you act an awful lot like a big cry baby…how is it you've survived up here in this big house all by yourself?"

Inuyasha stood to his feet. "I'm a big boy, Ms. Higurashi; I can take care of myself."

"Oh well then." Kagome sneered. "Let me commend you on your great house keeping." She glared over at the cobweb covered banister above the fireplace. "The place looks lovely." She snorted. "I'm sure your mommy would be proud."

"Thanks." Inuyasha scorned. "I'm sure she would be too, had her oldest son not brutally murdered her…in this very room."

Kagome gulped before she surveyed around the four walls.

"I found her body right over there." Inuyasha pointed to a corner behind a large piano near the staircase.

Kagome got that uneasy feeling of pity again. "Oh my God." She gasped.

"Not so abundant with strong words anymore, hmmm, Ms. Higurashi?"

Kagome stood silently in the doorframe, her eyes never leaving the spot where he had indicated that he had found his mother's body.

"They blamed me." Inuyasha snorted as he collapsed back down in his trusty armchair. "When the police went to investigate the missing persons report…I had already buried the bodies…all fifteen of them, including the vampires that had killed Kikyo. At first I kept myself hidden, not letting my whereabouts known. Then the police started to suspect that I had killed everyone, and they were going to have a search warrant put out for me…it was then that I knew I had to…kill myself. I couldn't just have all these people hunting me…breaking into my house. I knew as long as people thought I was alive I could never live in peace."

Kagome slowly walked back into the room. "You killed yourself?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Vampires have no pulse…nor a need for oxygen, ergo the living dead. We're basically just a walking corpse, as the legend goes. So one night I called the police…hid my identity…I told them I had seen a body of a young boy lying in the old cemetery, up inside the bushes next to the gazebo. When I hung up…I ran out to the place I'd told them to find me…and took a little nap."

"Took a little nap?"

Inuyasha chuckled. "For someone who wanted to die as much as I did, I really just wanted to live in peace. But you know what they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I played dead, Ms. Hirugashi. I laid perfectly still…and seeing as the technology in those days is nothing in comparison to today's…the autopsy was a breeze. They didn't even have to cut me open…they just said I had died from suicide. I just sort of stayed still in this kind of comatose state…and by the end of the day I was six feet under."

"Six feet under?" Kagome repeated as she collapsed onto the couch, blowing dust into the air.

"Of course once I knew the coast was clear I had to dig myself out again. That was a bitch if I ever remember one. But I guess on the bright side I was free to be alone…that is until you came along. You're something else, Higurashi."

Kagome stared at him. "How do you know my last name?"

"Oh I know a lot about you, sweetheart. So much that it scares me sometimes."

"But how…I don't understand?"

"Please Miss, I may be dead but I'm not dull…you're the talk of the town, ever since your father passed away. I do get out of this house a time or two. I mean a man's got to buy his _beer_ doesn't he?"

Kagome nodded, "Yeah, but for someone like you…and the tattoos. From the way you sound, and from such a rich family, you seemed more like the little rich boy who fought in the war, was captain of the football team, and president of the student body."

Inuyasha chuckled as he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, pulled one out, and stuck it in a neighboring candle, lighting her before he stuck the cigarette in-between his lips. "Oh I was…but then I got a life. Besides…at night is when the real party animals come out to play. You don't think I stay up here in this old hellhole and feel sorry for myself all the time do you? For your information Little Miss Princess…I haven't thought of that incident in over…God, ten years. But thanks to you and your big mouth I've been reminded of just how bad my life really sucks."

Kagome glared at him. "So you go out at night. Aren't you ever scared? You act all tough, but I saw you cry like a baby a few minutes ago. I don't think you have the balls to walk around at night by yourself; not here in Salem anyway."

Inuyasha snorted as he rolled his eyes. "Why should I be afraid of the dark, Sweetheart. When I'm what goes bump in the night."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Sure. Just keep telling yourself that."

He sighed. "You know what? For such a pretty girl you sure are a stubborn pain in my ass. I've only known you a couple of hours and I already can't stand you."

"The feelings mutual."

"So then." Inuyasha groaned. "Why haven't you left yet?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it's because I found someone to talk to. Sure we've only argued…but it's better than nothing."

Inuyasha stared at the raven-haired girl with a dumbfounded expression. That's when it occurred to him that she knew exactly what it was like to be separated from the rest of the world and to have no one care about you. "You've never really had a good life either have you?"

Kagome huffed angrily. "Why don't you tell me Mr. 'I know a lot about you, sweetheart. So much that it scares me sometimes'?"

Inuyasha sighed. "I say we call it a truce." He held out his hand; this time it was Kagome's turn to stare at the offered gesture. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, every part of his being wanted to kick her out of his broken down front door. Maybe it was his whole pity of the damsel in distress…she was no damsel.

"Truce? Why the heck do you want to call a truce for? I thought I was a 'stubborn pain in your ass'?"

Inuyasha groaned as he continued to hold his hand out. "You have a nasty habit of using what people say against them. Come on." He encouraged. "We both know that neither of us really have any friends or family…I admit it would be nice to have someone to talk to from time to time." Okay, someone to talk to? Now he was scaring himself. Inuyasha liked being the all secretive and quiet type…he hated talking or 'being friends' with people. Why did he suddenly have the change of heart with this girl? "Hell." He continued. "Maybe we'll even play checkers sometime."

Kagome giggled still neglecting his offer. "You're beginning to sound your age you _old fart_." She laughed. "Sorry but I don't…" she broke off when she realized what time it was, she stared down at her wristwatch and gave out a small gasp. " Seven forty-five! I'm gonna be late for school!" Kagome quickly grabbed her jacket lying on the couch and ran out the door. "See 'ya'!" She called back at the vampire.

Inuyasha sighed as he retreated his unshaken hand back to his side. "Now." He moaned. "To fix my doors…where did I put that tool box?" He pondered. _Stupid girl._ He wasn't sure why he trusted her not to go tell the whole town he was still living in the mansion. But he did.

* * *

I hope you liked it. I know Inuyasha and Kagome are a bit out of character but…oh well. I like the way they fit together. A nosey girl and a stubborn vampire.

Have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Just leave them in a review or email them to me. I'd be more than happy to answer them. I hope you liked my first chapter. Blame this story on reading too many Anne Rice books before I watched Adult Swim and then went to bed…you can only imagine the nightmares I have sometimes.


	2. Editorial of the Dead

**CHAPTER TWO: Editorial of the Dead**

Kagome ran through the double doors, bursting into the large high school just as the bell went off. "Great! Just great," she groaned as she kicked her way to her locker and opened it, pulling her books out and stuffing them into her satchel. "This really sucks…I spent the night with a nincompoop vampire, and now I'm late. Mom's really gonna love this. 'What the hell were you doing at some guy's house; you were supposed to be at school making a better life for yourself than I could ever have.'" The raven-haired girl mimicked her mother. "'just because I couldn't make it as a whore doesn't mean you can't.'"

Kagome arrogantly slammed her locker door shut and walked off to class. "Stupid, cocky, egotistical vampire," she smiled as she hugged her notebook close to her chest. "He _was_ cute though," she giggled. She really didn't know what to make of last night. A vampire, a myth that was so absurd and yet Kagome had found one. In all honesty, the fact that she had discovered a real live vampire and that he really did exist hadn't sunken in yet.

Kagome walked down the hall until she came to her first class: English. She took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open, fearing the wrath of her teacher, Mrs. Takanami; _the woman is evil_.

Kagome peeked her head through, just in time to see the short and plump teacher blare angrily. "Well Ms. Higurashi, I'm certainly glad you decided to show up. I swear you Higurashi women are all just alike. Take your seat now!" She ordered, her shrill voice rising almost high enough to shatter glass. "Your mother was a good-for-nothing and your father was a waste of perfectly good desk space. Some people in this institution actually want to _learn_…though I doubt anyone in your family could even spell the term."

Kagome glared angrily as she made her way through the aisle to her seat. _See I told you the woman was evil_. The only reason Mrs. Takanami was so harsh on Kagome was because Kagome's dad had played a lot of mean tricks on her when he was one of her students. And Kagome's mom had made fun of her…Kagome had felt sorry for her teacher…until she had found out how rude the old toad could really act.

"Well class." Mrs. Takanami squeaked from the front of the room. "Pack your things. We will be going to the library's media center today to use the computers. You will be researching information on the Internet about a political figure in history; of your choice; who greatly influenced Salem. Then I want a two-page report; typed, about your chosen individual. Any questions?"

A girl with long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a nose ring in her nose raised her hand. "When's this do?"

Mrs. Takanami smiled, her cheeks curling into an evil grin. "Friday."

"Friday!" Kagome squeaked. "That's tomorrow."

Mrs. Takanami wrung her hands together eagerly. "That's not my problem is it? Come on now," she herded. "Everyone line up single file at the door."

Kagome stood up and swung her book bag over her shoulder.

"This bites." The girl with brown hair groaned.

Kagome nodded. "Don't I know it, San."

San or Sango Sakamoto; was the only person Kagome even remotely considered a friend. Sango was new in Salem, she had just moved into town a little over a month ago from Sydney, Australia. She lived with her Aunt Sabrina-sama now, one of the many local gypsies.

Sango was cool, she was a little weird, but she fit in perfectly at Salem. Sango was really into witches and warlocks anything that had to do with magic she was there. She was fascinated with the Wicca culture. She especially liked old myths and legends. Kagome had a sinking feeling that Sango would fall head over heels for Inuyasha.

Sango had of course long brown hair that was dyed white at the ends, slate blue eyes that were so light that it was almost unnatural (contacts); she had a long slender and dark tanned body, a deep Australian accent, and a slightly different wardrobe than most people. Sango wore a lot of strange things. Like today, she was wearing a black sweater, a purple and black mini skirt, red and black checkered stockings, and tall lace up boots that covered almost her entire calf. Yeah she was a little weird; the girl's makeup is what sent most people over the edge; black lipstick and red mascara. She was different but she was fun to be around. She had a talent of lighting up the room.

"So," Sango giggled, her accent in full force. "How did your little adventure go last night?"

"Adventure?" Kagome questioned as she walked along the hallway, Sango beside her. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on!" Sango exclaimed in an exaggerated tone. "You were all hyped up yesterday about going to the old Osuwari Estate and proving it's not haunted. Please don't tell me the great Kagome Hirugashi chickened out?"

"I did not." Kagome protested.

"Oh really?" Sango laughed as she draped an arm around her friend's shoulder. "So did you meet any ghosts?"

"Not exactly." Kagome laughed nervously. _I can't tell her about Inuyasha…I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone. _

"Not exactly, hmmm?" Sango asked with a raised eyebrow. "So what _did_ you meet?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You know not everything has to be supernatural, San. The place was clean. I just walked in, looked around a little, and walked right back out."

"Oh." Sango sighed sadly. "So what's it look like in there?"

Kagome just shrugged her shoulders. "Like any other house that's been abandoned. Nothing really all that special."

"That bites." Sango moaned. "And here I was hoping you were going to find some poltergeist."

Kagome shook her head and laughed, "sorry, San."

The girls piled into the school's library and stared up at the large ceiling in the great room. Sango quickly ran to the computer section and grabbed two computers before they got gone while Kagome went and asked a librarian something.

"Over here." Sango exclaimed; waving her blue fingernail polished hand in the air once she saw that Kagome was done.

Kagome made her way over to the computer that Sango had reserved for her and took a seat. The two girls quickly signed onto the Internet and began their searches.

"I think I'm gonna do my report on the first witch ever executed in Salem." Sango giggled, as she typed away at her keyboard.

Kagome sighed. "San, a witch isn't a political figure."

"And I care because?" Sango laughed. "You know that old toad is scared of Aunt Sabrina-sama…she thinks my aunt'll put a curse on her or something." Sango gave her friend a thumb's up. "She ain't got the guts to fail me."

Kagome shook her head; "You're something else." She gazed down at her keyboard blankly for a few minutes until it hit her: Inuyasha. Kagome quickly typed in 'Inuyasha Osuwari' and watched as a list of sites popped up. She scrolled down the list until she saw something that looked worthwhile, "Murder of '66' Osuwari family found dead."

Kagome took her mouse and clicked on the link. She skimmed down the newspaper article until she saw something that caught her eye:

_'It was a sad night in December; when the entire aristocratic family of the Osuwaris' was found dead, save for the eldest son, Inuyasha Osuwari. Inuyasha was found dead three days later in the investigation due to an anonymous tip. _

_It took the police little over a week to locate the missing persons, they were found already buried. According to Sheriff Shinji Sowa, the police would not have found them had it not been for the mysterious new graves discovered within the Osuwari soil. "The place had always seemed spooky to me" exclaimed Sheriff Sowa, "Inutai Osuwari had always seemed like a strange man, but he was always a very generous individual; he had donated so much of his wealth to charity. And he had been a heroic veteran in World War II. I would never have thought that such a great man would have such a grave ending."_

_Among the Osuwari graves there were discovered the bodies of many teenage companions of the elder Osuwari: Sesshomaru, and also the young love of Inuyasha, Kikyo Ishinomori. Kikyo's family was horrified to hear of their daughter's death; Mrs. Ishinomori was sent into a hysteric frenzy, and later was forced to end her own life. Jinn Ishinomori (Kikyo's father) sent out a $100,000 reward to anyone who had information regarding his daughter's killer, though in his mind he personally blamed Inuyasha Osuwari. "I knew that boy was trouble." Mr. Ishinomori screamed angrily. "I told Kikyo many times to keep away from him, but no she wouldn't listen." Ishinomori cried, breaking down into tears during the interrogation at the police department. "That boy killed her. I know he did. He's a murderer I tell you. He killed all those people…including his own mother, and then killed himself. That monster didn't deserve death…he should have been locked away to live with his crimes for all eternity…to have the picture of Kikyo's dead body plastered in his head…to hear my baby girl's screams for mercy…echoing in his ears."_

_Sure enough, all the evidence found within the case pointed to Inuyasha. From his handprints to his blood present on the bodies and the shovel used to dig the graves of the victims. But since the boy was already deceased, there was nothing more the authorities could do. The case was closed; only a month after the incident itself took place; the Osuwari Estate was given to the state and life went on. The large manor was made into not a landmark but a resting-place for those whose lives were lost in the great tragedy. "Never to be torn down," exclaimed Mayor Kyo Shito. "She shall stand as a reminder to us all."'_

Kagome's jaw dropped. "No way. Inuyasha didn't do it!" She slammed her fist into the table. "That's a load of crap…He's not a killer."

Sango glanced over at Kagome curiously, as Kagome continued down the article.

_Inuyasha himself had also been a veteran. He had fought in the Vietnam War for approximately nine months. He had literally been handed a riffle and a uniform on his eighteenth birthday. The night of the incident Inuyasha had only been home for an estimated two days. He had returned only on a short break, but it was already too late. The war had drove him insane; forcing him to kill his own loved ones, even the girl who was allegedly carrying his unborn child (this was never confirmed.) _

_Inuyasha had grown up just like any other gifted boy. He had everything from the fancy car to the pretty girl. He truly had the life, thanks to his father's multi-million dollar company. I'm sure that if Inuyasha would have been told of his future crimes he would have laughed in disbelief, as most of us would have._

_He had been a bright boy. "Destined for great things," sighed his ninth grade Science teacher Emiko Hitoma. "Inuyasha had always been the smartest in the class. He was a regular Renaissance Man." _

_But of course, not all great people do great things. So on the night of December 23, two days before Christmas, Inuyasha did the unthinkable. The police were baffled by the catastrophe; "I'd never seen anything like I," exclaimed Shinji Matsumato, the local mortician. "The markings found on the bodies of many of the victims were rather strange; two parallel puncture wounds. But it wasn't by these that the victims died. Oddly enough it was either from a severe blood loss or the breaking of the neck." _

_According to Hiro Asada, a specialist in weapons, the wounds were unlike anything he had ever witnessed. "It wasn't made by any weapon I'm aware of."_

_Mortician Matsumato believes that the lacerations might have been made by a household Chief's fork. "It's highly unlikely it was made by such a utensil. I can't help but get the feeling that this case will never truly be solved." _

_Mr. Matsumato has a point. The murder 'weapon' was never found. But life does go on. The kindred of those who are gone still live their lives; grieving over "The Inuyasha Incident" as Sheriff Sowa put it. Events happen every day that will never truly be explained. But the world continues to go round. _

_In all, the Morgue counted sixteen Bodies, first the family: Inutai Osuwari, Midoriko Osuwari, and Sesshomaru Osuwari, the young beauty Kikyo Ishinomori and the companions of the college-bound Sesshomaru, whose families have asked that they go unnamed. And Finally Inuyasha Osuwari, who was possibly the victim of his own patriotism, having the war turn him mad. "I guess it just goes to show you that things don't always happen for a reason," sighed local beautician, Chihiro Sagara. "It was never expected, what with the war and all. I honestly feel pity for that boy. I've known him and his family for years…he was a friend of my daughter's in junior high. Inuyasha was always a sweet and polite child. There wasn't a single bad bone in his body, I know for a fact...other than his mischievous boyish-ness. I don't care what the police say…he didn't do it. Just 'cause there's some blood and prints, don't mean he did it. You can't prove it," stated Widow Sagara angrily. _

_Strangely enough, there are a few individuals scattered about Salem, Massachusetts that believe in Inuyasha's innocence. There were many rallies that took place just outside the courthouse, demanding that Inuyasha was innocent. But despite their efforts, the court ruled Inuyasha Osuwari guilty of fifteen counts of homicide. And whether this verdict is right or wrong that will never be known…no one survived to tell the tale, and with no witness and very limited evidence that points to Inuyasha and Inuyasha alone…the likeliness of a retrial, or of his innocence being declared are slim to none. And so a tragedy that shocked the masses is doomed to never have a final chapter; it happened so suddenly, we never saw it coming._

Kagome growled angrily throwing death threats at the computer.

"Whoa now." Sango exclaimed. "Chill out, Kag." Sango stared at the computer, having read the article over Kagome's shoulder. "What's got your panties in such a bunch?" The sky blue-eyed girl sighed. "It happened along time ago."

"I don't care." Kagome snapped. "He didn't do it."

Sango eyed her suspiciously. "Who? Inuyasha? How do you know he's innocent…he's been dead for almost forty years."

"Oh he's dead alright." Kagome growled through gritted teeth.

Sango stared at the photo of Inuyasha and Kikyo under the article. "Ooh! He's cute…too bad he's dead." She giggled

Kagome just ignored her friend's comment as she hastily clicked the print button and ran up to the front desk to collect her papers.

"May I help you?" The cheery old woman asked from behind the counter. "Do you need a library card, sweetie."

Kagome shook her head, no. "I need the papers I just printed."

The woman readjusted her bifocal glasses as she turned around to face the large expensive printer behind her. She shifted through the freshly printed pile. "What was it that you printed, honey?"

"An article on the Osuwari Murder."

The woman gave a small gasp before she handed over the papers. "A very sad story indeed." She sighed. Kagome got a sudden glimpse of the librarian's nametag. 'Kaede Ishinomori.' Kagome's heart stopped…_Ishinomori was Kikyo's last name_. "I was twenty when that incident happened. It caused quite an uproar."

Kagome nodded. She didn't know why but she had a sinking feeling that 'Kaede' was related to Kikyo. But Kagome just pushed that thought out of her mind as she ran back to where Sango was and grabbed her stuff.

Kagome smiled at her friend. "I gotta go, San."

The elder girl nodded, "where ya going, Kag?

"To see a friend." And with that, Kagome ran out the door.

The teacher called out after her, screaming threats. "If you don't come back here, Higurashi!" Mrs. Takanami bellowed. But it was too late; Kagome was already gone.

Sango stared after her friend. "I knew it." She giggled. "She found something…Inuyasha…perhaps?"

* * *

Kagome ran down the street; she was almost there. She turned the corner and ran along the dirt driveway that sloped downward as it led to the mansion. During the day the place was beautiful, unlike its spooky appearance at night. The mansion was slightly hidden by a miniature forest. All the trees in the front yard were so gigantic; most of them were Weeping Willows, the long vines draping down to arms' reach. Kagome pushed open the black picket fence and rushed past the greenhouse. Unfortunately, the house itself was at the very edge of the property…the sixty-acre property. The place was so shaded from the trees that it gave the feeling of going into a cave with bright green walls. But all this was well to Inuyasha; it kept him separated from the nosey town.

"Oh God!" Kagome gasped as she reached the front porch, huffing and puffing all the while.

She stared up at Inuyasha as he was just finishing the repairs on his front door. "What is it this time, Ms. Higurashi?" He groaned under his breath as he took the hammer in his hand and gave it a good swing at the last nail. "Please don't tell me you're here to break down another door."

Kagome held up her hand, signaling him to just give her a second before she hunched over and rested her hands on her knees. "I…I…God that was…a long run."

Inuyasha chuckled as he disappeared into the house and returned with a glass of water. "Here." He offered, handing her the cup.

The human girl took it graciously and downed it with one sip. "Thanks." She sighed.

He nodded. "Shouldn't you be at school, kid?"

Kagome glared at him. "I'm not a kid." She protested, still sounding slightly winded.

Inuyasha just smirked as he twirled the hammer around in his finger carelessly, contemplating on throwing it at her for coming back to haunt him again. "We're not going to make these visits of yours a habit are we?"

Kagome ignored his comment as she held up the papers she had printed from the library. "Is this her?"

Inuyasha gazed down at the picture, his dormant heart kicking in; pounding in his chest. "Yeah." He reached up and gingerly took the black and white photo from Kagome treating the paper as if it were precious. "I haven't seen her in years. I hardly ever have the heart to look at her pictures any more. I destroyed most of them." He laughed sadly to himself. "She was so beautiful."

Kagome looked up into Inuyasha's eyes. He looked so sad as he stared down at Kikyo.

"I thought so." Kagome whispered. "I read the article…and I knew how much you loved her…I thought you might like to have a picture of her."

Inuyasha nodded never tearing his eyes off Kikyo's innocent smile.

"Inuyasha," Kagome sighed quietly. "I didn't know they blamed you like that. I know you didn't do it…I can't believe they'd think you would do something so horrible. I'm really…s…so…sor…sorr…sorry." She stuttered, trying to get the word out.

Inuyasha glanced down at her and smirked. "You don't apologize often do you?"

Kagome shook her head and giggled. "Nope."

"Here," He laughed handing the papers back to her. "No use bringing back old ghosts. I think you should have it." Kagome took the papers and nodded as he smiled down at her. "You look a lot like her…exactly like her."

Kagome glanced down at the image of Kikyo. She was a pretty girl, with bright green eyes with long, thick eyelashes, and long silky black hair, a petite heart shaped face, a tiny rounded nose, simple lips. "She looks just like me," Kagome gasped.

"Come on in, Higurashi." Inuyasha opened the now fixed door allowing Kagome to enter. "We'll get you something to eat."

"Oh! Food." She drooled. "God bless you, Inuyasha…I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon."

* * *

Kagome sat happily at the kitchen table, taking in her surroundings. "Do you ever clean?" She asked as she eyed a large spot of rust on the stove door.

"Nope."

She sighed as she rested her elbows on the table's surface and her chin in her palms.

"Here you go." Inuyasha announced as he placed a sandwich in front of the young girl. "Grilled cheese, my specialty."

Kagome smiled before she took a bite. "Pretty good…for a dead guy. My complements to the chief."

Inuyasha bowed jokingly before he took a seat at the table diagonal from her. "So you ran all that way just to give me a picture and apologize huh?" He had to admit that was impressive, not just for the integrity of her actions…but for the distance of the run itself. She had a lot of hidden strength in her.

She nodded, her mouth it was too full of food to speak.

And so the two sat in silence until Kagome finished her sandwich.

"That was good." She smiled as she swallowed the last bit of her snack. "Inuyasha?"

"Hmmm?" He groaned; she talked too much in his opinion. _Embrace some freaking silence for once, wench._

"I was wondering…."

"Yeah?" Groan.

"If it's not too much trouble…could I come hang out here everyday after school?"

Inuyasha looked over at Kagome with a raised eyebrow. "Having a change of heart are we?"

"Well…I've got nothing else better to do, and since you're lonely…I thought maybe we could…be lonely together."

Inuyasha smiled genuinely at her, a rarity in itself. "You want to befriend a vampire?"

Kagome nodded excitedly. "Yeah, I don't care about that kind of stuff."

The vampire sighed and shook his head. "Even though I was accused of murder, you read that article on me, 'I'm a dangerous man'."

She giggled. "No dangerous man would ever make a grilled cheese sandwich."

Inuyasha snorted. "You even act like Kikyo…criticizing my cooking. Alright then, I suppose you could stay here after school sometimes. But, don't you have any other friends?"

Kagome shook her head. "Only Sango, and she has to work at her aunt's magic shop, she never has any free time. Other than her…I've got nobody."

"Well then…If you promise not to steal any of my things or break down anymore doors, I guess I could learn to put up with you."

"Great!" Kagome cheered. "But first…this place seriously needs a woman's touch, I'll clean your house…as like a thank you gift; if that's okay with you."

Inuyasha smirked as he collected the dishes and laid them in the sink for him to clean later. "No arguments here." He chuckled. _This girl's something else…she acts so much like her, its almost like Kikyo's come back to me…maybe that's why I don't have the heart to tell her to go away…_

Inuyasha sat back down at the table and grabbed the checkerboard he had put aside, placing it in the center of the small circular table. He had made sure to get the game out just to spite himself.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked subconsciously as she watched the vampire set all the small pieces in place.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wandering…" she sighed as she gazed down at the table's wooden surface." Can vampires turn into bats?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Are you kidding me? I have just as much of a chance of sprouting wings as you do."

"Oh," Kagome moaned as she traced her fingers around one of the circular game pieces. "But you do get like super powers right? Don't you get like some kind of super speed or keen eyesight or something? I mean if you didn't that would suck."

"Yeah we get _powers_," He took the piece the mortal was playing with and placed it in a red square on the board game's surface. "Flying and animal morphing just don't come in the package."

Kagome looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You said you 'died' when you were eighteen right?"

Inuyasha nodded. "I did."

"But yesterday you said you bought beer…if you look eighteen, then how do you get it? I mean you can't say you're in your fifties 'cause, well look at you."

Inuyasha smiled; he grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out his license. "I got a fake ID."

Kagome grabbed the laminated card and eyed it in amazement. "How did you get this?"

He smirked. "I have my ways."

"Can you get me one?"

He gave her a funny look before he rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid not, Missy."

She moaned before she resulted back to sitting quietly, deep in thought until: "Hey. I thought you killed vampires with stakes?"

"You can," Inuyasha answered curiously.

"Well then why do you have a pile of them on your bedroom floor upstairs? I saw them yesterday."

Inuyasha chuckled to himself. "I have to have some kind of weapon don't I? Most people think all vampires are in like some kind of brotherhood or something, where we all get along. But the truth is…most vampires can't stand each other. In fact many vampires will form little gangs and go out and kill other vampires, just to take over their territory." He smirked at Kagome's reaction. "Sounds like something an animal would do, doesn't it?"

She nodded. "So you're scared that a bunch of 'vamps' will break into your house and kill you just to get the mansion?" _I knew he was a big baby_.

He smirked as he put the last piece in place. "Scared? I'm not afraid it's going to happen…it's already happened before. They just didn't make it past the front door."

"Oh. Well that's rude…trying to break into your home." Kagome frowned. "Hey…do vampires feel pain?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Very much so, Missy."

"That sucks…hey if the stake rumor's true…is the _holy water_ rumor true?"

He flinched. "Oh God, that crap stings like hell." He pulled his shirtsleeve up revealing a spider shaped scare on his shoulder. "That's where I got this from."

"Ouch." Kagome winced. "What about the cross thing? You guys aren't able to go near them aren't you?"

"Only ones without souls. I myself am very religious." He pulled the chain hanging around his neck out from under his shirt revealing a small silver cross dangling carelessly.

"Ooh, that's pretty. Where'd you get it?"

"Kikyo…as an early Christmas present."

"Oh I'm really sorry." The green-eyed teenager gasped.

"It's fine." He huffed.

"I suppose the coffin story is true, seeing as you have one upstairs." Kagome added trying her best to change the subject.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Actually the coffin rumor's false too…I saw that one for sale one night while I was prowling and I just couldn't help myself. But nah, we don't sleep in coffins, we really don't sleep at all."

"That's got to be weird."

Inuyasha took the cigarette he had left lying in an ashtray beside him and stuck the 'cancer stick' as Kagome put it, in-between his lips.

"Hey Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Vampires have no pulse or need for oxygen right, that's what you said yesterday." She asked glancing timidly at the cigarette.

"True…I did say something like that."

"Then if you can't…_don't_ breathe, what's the point of smoking?"

Inuyasha sighed. "I learned the hard way, sweetheart. Old habits die hard."

"…"

"So…are you ready to have your ass beaten at checkers?" the vampire joked cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"Bring it on," Kagome laughed.

"I have to warn you, honey. I'm the undefeated champ…you have no chance."

Kagome stayed over at Inuyasha's house for the rest of the day talking about all kinds of things from pets to boy-bands. _Don't ask_. She even got to humiliate a vampire at checkers.

* * *

Kagome smiled as she strolled around the sidewalk. She stared up at the dark night sky and watched as the clouds rolled in, covering the bright stars. It had been a fun day today. And as she stood there staring up into the sky, she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get Inuyasha's pale skin and bright amber eyes out of her mind. When Kagome had first met Inuyasha his eyes had seemed so dark and dead…but now they were brilliant. _Oh great…I have a crush on a dead guy_. Little did she know; her future with Inuyasha…would never be like a fairy tale.

That night when the seventeen-year-old girl returned home to her singlewide trailer in the center of the trailer park she found her mother drunk on the couch, laughing at a Scooby-doo rerun.

* * *

Inuyasha sat silently on the rooftop of his mansion and stared out at the city's night-lights as the rain slowly started pouring around him. His eyes stayed glued to a slow moving figure heading towards the Garden of Eden Trailer Park, his keen eyes peering through the dark night. He made sure she made it home safe…if she was safe there. 


	3. Dance for the Living Impaired

**CHAPTER THREE: Dance for the Living Impaired**

Kagome leaned over the brand new television and plugged it in. She glanced over her shoulder at the vampire sitting in his trusty armchair. "It wouldn't kill you to help," she snapped at him.

Inuyasha just smirked. "I bought the damn thing…the least you can do is plug it up."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she went back to work on the television. "All set," she announced proudly a moment later before she stood back up straight and dusted herself off.

Inuyasha sighed. "What do we need a television for anyway?"

Kagome glared at him. "It's been three months since I started coming here after school…no offense, but I'm getting sick and tired of checkers, chess, and tic-tac-toe."

"You're only jealous because I always beat you," he murmured under his breath.

"I heard that!" Kagome snapped.

"Sorry dear," he mocked folding his hands behind his head.

It's true. It had been three months since Kagome had first met Inuyasha; and ever since then the two had grown to be like family…almost too much like family. They had their daily arguments and such. Everyday after school Kagome would rush over to Inuyasha's house, they had grown…not exactly fond of one another but they had grown used to each other over the past couple of weeks.

"Oh, and before I forget; I got you something." Kagome ran over to her book bag, sitting in the corner by the piano. "I went to the butcher's this morning." She unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a small Tupperware bowl full with blood. "This cost me a pretty penny," she laughed as she handed the frozen 'meal' to the vampire; her buying him blood had sort of become routine.

Inuyasha smiled. "Thanks." He popped the lid off and was just about to take a sip when he saw the disgusted look on Kagome's face. "I'll save it for later," he sighed putting the lid back on and setting his food aside.

Kagome winked at him and grabbed the remote on the couch, "and God said 'let there be TV'." She quickly pushed the 'on' button before Saturday morning cartoons popped across the screen.

Inuyasha shook his head. _Women_.

"So…" Kagome sighed as she took a seat on the nice _clean_ couch; it had taken her three weeks just to get his house…presentable. "I was wondering…my school's having a dance tomorrow…I was hoping you might come."

Inuyasha dropped his cigarette in his lap; burning a hole in his jeans. "What!"

Kagome glared at him. "Please," she begged.

"Uh-uh. No way! No how! Forget it! There's no way in hell you're gonna throw me into a pack of mortals…I'm dead remember!"

"Oh please…it's required that my class goes, I don't really want to but I'll fail if I don't. It's for my Culture class, and I haven't got anyone to go with…and I don't want to go alone. You don't want me to have to go all by myself do you? Come on…it'll be fun, and we don't even have to dance…we'll just sit and talk like we always do."

"Are you insane? We've never just talked…we always argue!" Inuyasha protested, trying his best to get out of it, even though he knew he would inevitably be forced into it. It's the price of having a teenage girl consider you as a pet, and that's exactly how Kagome viewed him and he knew it. He hated it but he knew it. He was her pet vampire that she had followed home.

Kagome gave him the best puppy-dogface she could muster.

"Ah not the puppy look!" Inuyasha whined. "No…no, and no. I'm not going to some dumb mortal party and there's no way you can make me. So there."

"Quit acting like a spoiled brat and think about somebody other than yourself for a change." She shot him a dirty look.

"But I don't wanna!"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Inuyasha growled as Kagome fixed his shirt's collar. She stepped back and eyed him from head to toe. A white silk shirt, black pants…,and his cross necklace from Kikyo. Kagome gave him a thumb's up, he actually looked like a normal human teenager…sort of. His long hair and brilliant eyes are what stood out the most. She could understand him having a problem with the eyes but…he could cut the hair. NO…she loved his hair…no way in hell was she going to let him chop it off.

"Sexy-sexy." She giggled, which was very true; he did look good. _Pretty darn good_.

Inuyasha smirked. "Feh."

She smiled. "And now you're finally going to get to meet my friend, Sango."

Inuyasha looked down at her worriedly. "You said she saw that article…she'll recognize me."

"Don't worry," Kagome assured him. "San's cool…she won't tell anyone…and she won't freak out either. She's more of a freak than you are."

"Are you sure? Hey wait a minute I'm not a freak," he growled.

Kagome rolled her eyes before she handed him a pair of sunglasses she had bought. "Don't worry Sango's well…an idiot…with these on, your safe…she won't recognize you."

"I'm not wearing sunglasses."

"Why?" Kagome put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

He took the glasses off and tossed them aside. "You've already got me going to this stupid thing…that's bad enough already…you know how I hate going out in public."

She nodded, "Yeah…I'm really sorry I pushed you into this." She leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."

Inuyasha feh'd, despite his attempt to mask his embarrassment.

"We've got forty-five minutes." Kagome announced, staring down at her wristwatch. "I'm gonna go change now." She rushed past the bloodsucker and grabbed her bag of clothes on her way to the bathroom upstairs.

Inuyasha stared after her, knowing all to well just how nervous he was. _I'm fifty-something years old damn it…why do I feel like a teenager…I don't even remember acting like this around Kikyo. Of course I wasn't dead then. God how I miss her…but Kagome's so much like her…Kikyo have you come back to me? No…I see the similarities in there appearance, and even some of their mannerisms but…it stops there. Kagome is, Kagome. _

Kagome walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, before she changed into her dress. It was a pretty black cocktail dress that reached down just above her knees, where it flowed with her every movement. The top was scoop neck that showed off some of her innocent freckles just below her collarbone.

Kagome pulled half her hair up in a ponytail and left the rest to dangle in her natural ringlets over her back. Kagome slipped on her black high heel pumps that Sango had lent her. Hell Sango had lent Kagome everything; the dress, the shoes, the jewelry; Sango's mother had owned a bridal shop when she had been alive, so Sango's closet was slam full of evening dresses, wedding gowns, and tuxes.

Kagome walked back downstairs; only fifteen minutes after she had left.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he watched her serenely ease down the steps. He could tell she was having a little problem with getting use to her shoes seeing as she slightly stumbled three steps away from the bottom, but even that added to her charm. She looked so pretty to him, though he'd never tell the little chatterbox that. He could tell she hadn't done anything really special…she still looked like the same old Kagome, but he couldn't help but stare at her in awe, until he realized he was actually staring. Inuyasha pointedly turned his head to look in the other direction in annoyance.

Kagome smiled; not even noticing the look Inuyasha had given her before. "I guess we should get going."

Inuyasha just gulped and nodded.

Kagome linked her arm with his flirtatiously, oblivious to just how much she was haunting him. "Come on." She smiled innocently.

The two walked out of the mansion and all the way to the bus stop, where they hitched a ride to the school.

Kagome led Inuyasha up the front steps of Salem High, she held onto his hand, glancing at him over her shoulder ever so often. The two pushed their way through the heavy crowd, until they made it up to the ticket booth at the gymnasium entrance.

Kagome handed over a ten-dollar bill to the tall, gangly girl behind the register. The girl handed over two tickets as she subconsciously kept her eyes on Inuyasha. "I don't think I've ever seen you before," she sighed, before she glared daggers at Kagome. "Go on in, Higurashi," She snapped very rudely.

"What was that about?" Inuyasha asked when he and Kagome finally made it into the gym.

"Not many people like me," The black-haired girl sighed

Inuyasha furrowed his brow. He didn't understand why people would be rude for no reason…of course when he thought about it…he tended to be like that himself. He just shrugged his shoulders.

The 'couple' didn't make it two steps when they were bombarded by Sango Sakamoto. "Kag!" Sango squealed as she ran over to her friend. She wrapped her arms around Kagome. "You look so pretty."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks…you look…nice."

Sango smirked as she twirled around in her paint covered black overalls and her red baseball T-shirt, while everyone else was in dress clothes. "Oh you know me," she giggled. "Anything to stand out in the crowd. You do look pretty, Kagome," Sango sighed. "My mom wore that dress too…I don't think even she looked as pretty in it as you do."

Kagome smiled genuinely.

"Well," Sango whispered as she leaned in close. "Where's this guy you wanted to look pretty for?"

Kagome blushed.

"You're always spending time at his house. I'm kind of curious to meet the lucky dude."

Kagome took a deep breath. "You promise you won't freak?"

Sango gave her friend a raised eyebrow. "Why? He's not some jock or something is he?'

Kagome rolled her eyes. "No."

"Is he a porn star?"

Sweatdrop. "No he's just a little weirder than most people."

"Oh ok. I doubt anything could be any freakier then me, Kag," Sango giggled.

Kagome nodded before she stepped aside, revealing the vampire standing behind her.

Sango's eyes widened as she opened her mouth to scream like some kind of fan-girl. Kagome jerked her hand over her friend's mouth as she glanced around making sure no one had noticed.

Inuyasha just sort of stood there and scratched the back of his head nervously.

Kagome removed her hand from Sango's mouth slowly after about five minutes.

"He's that guy we saw on the Internet!" Sango gasped.

"No I just look like him," Inuyasha laughed nervously.

"It's okay, Inuyasha." Kagome smiled. "We can trust, Sango. Besides it's your own fault for not wearing the sunglasses."

Inuyasha groaned. "Yeah-yeah-yeah. So sue me."

"So…" Sango giggled. "I knew you found something in that old house…but you didn't tell me it was a vampire." She whispered before she circled around him, making the poor guy feel even more uncomfortable.

"How did you know he's a vampire? I haven't told you that yet," Kagome asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sango gave her friend a wink. "It takes a freak to recognize a freak…just look at him…pale skin…fangs…" she pointed at Inuyasha's mouth. "And…hmmm…a cross around his neck." She fingered the pendent. "He's a vampire with a soul…it's a no brainer."

Kagome giggled. "That's exactly what I told him."

"So this guy's a night walker…" Sango cooed. "Can I have your autograph?"

Inuyasha stared at her dumbfoundedly. "?"

"Can I have your autograph?" She repeated before she fished a pen out of her pocket, she bent over slightly. "Just sign it on my back."

Kagome burst into a laughing fit. "Only you, Sango."

Sango giggled, once Inuyasha was done and had handed the pen back to her. "Well I've got to go…my date's around here somewhere."

"Date?" Kagome's eyebrows raised.

Sango nodded. "Yeah…he's new. He just transferred here from some school up in LA…he's pretty cool. He's in my art class."

"What's his name?" Kagome asked with an all-knowing smirk.

"Miroku Hayashi."

* * *

"Is she always like that?" Inuyasha asked worriedly. "Asking people for their autographs?"

Kagome nodded. "You get use to her after awhile."

"I hope your right." Inuyasha sighed as he took a seat in front of Kagome at a small round table up against the gymnasium wall located directly under a basketball goal. "Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

Inuyasha gazed into her pretty green eyes, accidentally loosing himself in them. _I can't believe how pretty she is_. Who would have thought that such an annoying little chatterbox would turn into something so beautiful? She reminded Inuyasha so much of Kikyo, so much that sometimes it was almost painful to look at Kagome. Kikyo had meant so much to Inuyasha; she had been his everything. He had literally been sent into a downward spiral when she passed away. So much so that it had taken him over fifty years to really recover. In all honesty, he owed the little chatterbox a lot of gratitude, if it hadn't been for her and her 'breaking and entering' habits, Inuyasha would have never found happiness again…if finding someone you could talk to was happiness. Yes it was. He never would have thought that he could be happy as vampire…but he had found it all…in Kagome. That's when it hit him…he loved her. _Oh shit…no-no-no. Bad Inuyasha, bad._

Inuyasha felt his dead heart begin pounding against his ribcage. _Oh_ _God…how could you let this happen_? He mentally kicked himself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid…not smart, Inuyasha_! _She doesn't deserve to have this happen to her…she's too good of a person to have a vampire following her around like a lost puppy_. _Think about it, you idiot…she's going to live a normal life…she deserves a normal human man…not…me. UH stupid, stupid, stupid. She deserves someone who's alive_. _Hello, duh…wake up. Besides, does the words 'you're dead' not mean anything? You're dead you stupid dumb ass. You don't love her…you can't…hello!_

Inuyasha glanced up into Kagome's eyes again as she stared out at the DJ in the gym corner. "I love this song. My dad had their album." She laughed as an old eighties rock song flowed through the speakers. She turned to look at Inuyasha; who at the moment was having what felt like a heart attack. "Are you okay?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Inuyasha nodded. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom…I'll be right back."

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Inuyasha groaned as he banged his head against the bathroom stall's door. "I can't believe I'm even in this predicament."

"Uh…are you alright, man?"

Inuyasha rubbed his forehead as he turned to look in the intruder's direction. "Yeah," he sighed as he eyed a tall blond haired boy walk up beside him and wash his hands in the sink.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before," the boy chuckled. "I'm Hojo."

"Inuyasha," he groaned, still rubbing his soar.

"So…are you new here or did you come with somebody?" Hojo smiled, trying to engage in small talk, which was annoying to Inuyasha.

"I don't go here." _Anymore_. "I came with a…friend."

"A friend huh?" Hojo pushed some soap out of the soap dispenser and began lathering the suds between his fingers. "So who'd you come with?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment, debating whether or not he should give a name, but he was reluctant enough to utter it. "Kag…I mean Kagome Higurashi."

Hojo's eyes grew large. "You came with her?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, just daring Hojo to say something mean. "Yes."

"That girl's infamous." Hojo laughed as he grabbed a paper towel and began drying his hands. "Well notorious…"

"For what?" Inuyasha asked irritatedly.

"Well for a lot of things. Part of its from her dad's death in Iraq, got blown up in one of those bombings. And then there's the fact that her mother…well isn't exactly a mother…she's more of the town bicycle…you know, where everyone gets a ride. She isn't exactly the mother figure, heck I wouldn't doubt it if she's screwed half of Salem including the high school. I guess that's why most people don't like Kagome…because her family sucks she kind of turned into a thief…not a real bad one mind you…but she just seems to take stuff…and play pranks on people…she has a short temper…and she's incredibly rude to everyone. She acts like she hates everyone. She's done a lot of nasty things to people just 'cause they might have said something mean or offended her…many people make fun of her father being dead. Don't know why, but they just do. And in this school, if you piss one remotely popular person off, the entire student body hates you. And if anyone felt sorry for her well, Kagome's always acted real stubborn like no one in the world could help her but herself. Although I'm sure you know all of this already seeing as you're here with her and all."

Inuyasha nodded. It all made since…why that girl had snapped at Kagome when she had handed her their tickets…the girl had probably once upon a time said something mean to Kagome, or someone she knew had, and Kagome…well she had most likely just done what she usually does…something stupid. And that also explained why Kagome was so sour towards people and why they were sour back.

"But hey," Hojo chuckled. "I'll admit she's a fine looking little thing…that's why most of the guys hate her…if they hit on her she'll beat the living snot out of them…sent three boys to the emergency room so far. I wish you luck, man…you've already gotten lucky enough to be here with her…maybe you'll get a little something?" He winked at Inuyasha. "As feisty as she acts I bet she's an animal in bed." _Oops…wrong thing to say._

Inuyasha angrily cracked his knuckles, before he punched the human right across the face, knocking him to the floor. Inuyasha having made sure to keep his vampiric strength in check, not wanting to actually kill the guy. And with that, Inuyasha stepped over the boy on the floor and walked out the door. He glanced around for Kagome. _I cannot believe I just punched somebody over a girl. _When he spotted her, he couldn't help but feel all guilty inside. _I hate this darn feeling…it bites_. Inuyasha slowly weaved his way through the crowd_. I mean I did try not to hit the guy too hard but…I still hit him anyway…what's come over me?_

Kagome smiled when he took his seat in front of her. "Are you feeling okay, Inuyasha?"

He just nodded, to spooked to speak.

"If you want," Kagome groaned. "We can leave…I've already shown up so I get an automatic hundred. You can go home now if you're bored."

Inuyasha shook his head no, he pushed all the thoughts he was having about his little discovery, as he forced himself to become the natural witty charmer that he was…_was_. He stood up and offered her his hand. "Wanna dance?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she took his hand. "Excuse me?" Had she just heard him correctly? Had THE Inuyasha just actually came out and asked her to dance?

"Do you want to dance?" He repeated as helped her to her feet, staring deep into her green eyes.

Kagome only nodded, too shocked to answer.

Inuyasha led her out onto the dance floor in the center of the gym; the DJ's voice pulsed through the speakers. "Alright all you cats and dogs, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for our couples to take the stage as I play a little something slow." He flipped a switch and as he had said a slow song poured around the room. _Figures_ Inuyasha groaned. _They would play a slow song now_.

Kagome on the other hand wasn't bothered by slow dancing at all, now that the fact that she was dancing with Inuyasha had actually sunken in. She giggled when she saw his beet red cheeks. She took his hands and placed them on her hips before she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're pathetic, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's face must have turned at least twenty shades of red. But Kagome didn't seem all that embarrassed she leaned in and gave her vampire a kiss on the cheek, making him go even redder. "You're _really_ pathetic." She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. I _can't believe he can't even dance with a girl without getting embarrassed. Stupid over grown baby. Too bad he's probably thinking I'm Kikyo_. Kagome had become use to that when she was around Inuyasha, he was always thinking about Kikyo…that was probably the only reason he kept her around…was because she looked so much like her.

Inuyasha leaned in and kissed the top of her head. _Yep, he's thinking about Kikyo. I bet they went to prom or whatever together…I wander what she was like_. This was another thing Kagome had grown use to as well, whenever Inuyasha showed affection he only had one thing on his mind. And guess what it was…not Kagome.

Inuyasha as he was close, he took the chance to breathe in her scent. _Strawberries._ _Kikyo use to always smell like strawberries. _

* * *

Two girls standing in the corner, glared huffily at Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Who's that guy, Kana?" The shapelier of the two complained.

"I don't know, Kagura."

Kagura crossed her arms over her chest. "Who ever he is…he's too cute to be with that Higurashi girl…it's bad enough my date got punched in the bathroom…Hojo's got a bloody nose… gross!" She groaned. "Now I see a know-nothing twit like her…with a guy like that."

Kana shrugged her shoulders. "I think Kagome looks pretty."

Kagura glared daggers at the girl beside her. "No she doesn't'…she looks ugly…I don't know who she thinks she's fooling…I think we might just have to show that guy that he's got trash..." Kagura twirled around flamboyantly, "when he can have Kagura."

Kana rolled her eyes. W_hat a corny pun_. "You're crazy." She pointed at Inuyasha as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the chatterbox. "He's obviously smitten for her."

"Please." Kagura brushed invisible dust of her shoulder. "This is Higurashi we're talking about."

* * *

Kagome tightened her hold around Inuyasha's neck; she could feel him growing tenser every time she moved closer to him. This just made her smirk grow even more satisfied, she liked to pick on him. She pressed her ear against his chest, his slow heartbeat echoing in her veins.

Kagome closed her eyes and imagined her and her vampire alone somewhere on a deserted beach at sunset talking away about anything and everything. She wandered what he was thinking about, probably the same thing except instead of her it was Kikyo. Inuyasha had become a part of Kagome's family, if not her only family. He had become something that she could never explain…a loved one perhaps, but she personally felt a stronger bond between her and her nightwalker even if he didn't feel the same.

It had been a strange transition at first, going to a vampire's house everyday after school. But Kagome had come to like the homely old mansion. Of course, she had no idea what sort of force she was dealing with. Kagome had never seen Inuyasha act like the 'vampires' in the movies that she had grown accustomed to, in Kagome's head Inuyasha was just another face in the crowd, no different then the men that surrounded him. But in reality he was so far from the living, there was nothing about Inuyasha that was human…not anymore. There was a bloodthirsty drive hidden inside of him, a wolf in sheep's clothing, a cold-blooded killer. Even though he had skillfully mastered his hunger, the fact still remained…there's a murderous demon buried within him. Can he keep his pure soul strong or will the monster eventually take control?

But Kagome really didn't care. Inuyasha was one of the good guys, that's all she needed to know. He was a good person with a good heart and soul, and that's all that matters.

Kagome leaned her head back and gave her vampire a sweet smile, until she saw the petrified expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

Inuyasha just nodded as he stared down at Kagome's bare neck. He could hear his stomach rumbling; he hadn't drunken any blood in days. His mind roamed back to the Tupperware bowl of the delicious plasma sitting in his icebox in the kitchen. He felt his need growing more and more powerful inside of him, devouring him whole until he couldn't think straight.

His hand slowly crept up to the green-eyed girl's hair, entangling his fingers in her wavy locks. "Kagome," he muttered as his slowly leaned in opening his mouth wide; his fangs bared. "You should get away from me," he growled trying to push her away but Kagome didn't budge. Inuyasha tried to pull away and look in the opposite direction of her, but no matter how hard he tried his demonic urges pulsed thicker and thicker throughout his body, right down to his fingertips. He had a need for her, a desire that ran so far into the pit of his gut that it felt like a knife was twisted within his abdomen.

Kagome on the other hand was unfazed; here was this vampire right on the verge of biting her and she wasn't afraid. She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss on his cheek. She knew he would never hurt her; he was too good of a person. "Are you that hungry? You're not going to have another blackout attack on me again are you?" she giggled. "Why didn't you say so? I filled an empty soda bottle with some extra blood I bought from the butcher and stored it in my locker this morning. I'll go get it."

Inuyasha always did this when he forgot to feed, it was blamed on his guilty conscious of feasting but every time he forgot to fill his belly he would first loose his self control and if he didn't satisfy himself then he would blackout and fall to the floor. It was one of the many downfalls of being a vampire.

Inuyasha winced, before he glanced around at all the bare necks that surrounded him, his ageless heart pounding against his ribcage. He just nodded, his stomach was going to be ripped apart, and that evil voice in his head was telling him to pick a victim and feast. Kagome noticed the painful look in her friend's eyes, she quickly took him, having him lean on her, and led him back over to a spare table, the dancing mob never even noticing.

Kagome gave him a wink. "What would you ever do without me…I swear…I never would have thought I'd end up baby-sitting a vampire," she laughed before she took off to her locker, having to sneak past the row of teachers just to get out of the gym and into the hallway.

Kagome wiped the sweat off her brow. _That was way too close_. She had almost been spotted by the elderly librarian. Kagome took off down the large hall, twisting in and out of the curvaceous school until she came upon her locker's row. She knelt down and quickly unlocked the combination lock before she flung the short metal door open. Kagome threw book after book aside until she found the bottle buried at the bottom. She grabbed the bloody soft drink before she closed and locked her locker back up and took off back to the gymnasium.

* * *

Inuyasha sat in the metal fold up chair, his head pounding miserably, his vision slowly blurring. He knew something like this was going to happen; it always did when he was doing something important to him. _It would figure_.

His vampiric senses kicked in when he smelt a figure approach him, it was a girl's scent, but it wasn't Kagome's. He opened his eyes and blearily stared up at the advancing female. He could make out a bright off-white dress and black hair. He closed his eyes again as cold sweat trickled from his brow.

"Hi," the figure giggled taking the seat diagonal from him. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. "I've never seen you before, are you knew here? I'm Kagura. What's your name?" She offered him her hand but when he didn't take it, she noticed the sickly look on Inuyasha's face. "Hey are you okay?"

Inuyasha shook his head, keeping his eyes closed tight. "I'm fine. Just go away please." His head began throbbing; making it feel like his skull was going to crack from the pressure. Things like this don't happen often to vampires, only when a vampire has neglected to drink, when the vampire's lack of the 'elixir' takes its toll. It is one of the few ways that a vampire can die, without the 'drink of life'; a vampire will fade away into ashes.

Kagura groaned. _I waited until Higurashi finally disappeared so I could flirt with this guy and then he just goes and gets sick, figures…well he is cute, hmmm_. "Here let me help you," Kagura gasped in an over exaggerated voice, she ran to his 'aid' grabbing a paper towel by the punch bowl at the snack table and a glass of water. "Here drink this," she offered him the water, but Inuyasha just pulled his head away.

"I don't need help." _Water will just make the pain worse_.

"Nonsense," Kagura insisted demandingly. She held the glass up to his lips but Inuyasha just tried to pull away again. She finally knelt over him, pinning him to the back of his chair, she forced the water up to his lips, but he continued to refuse. If Inuyasha would have been able to see he would have realized what position he was in, her chest was literally pressed against him.

* * *

Kagome sneaked through the back door with the bottle hidden behind her back, she grumbling all the while. This was the third time Inuyasha had pulled the starvation stunt with her; she had learned first hand just how famished he could make himself. It was a little known fact that a vampire must digest at least a pint of blood every two days or they will literally fall apart, and Inuyasha was known for not drinking for weeks.

The raven haired-girl glanced around the dimly lighted room until she spotted Inuyasha in the corner…with Kagura almost on top of him. "Don't give him water it'll only make him worse!" Kagome ran over to Inuyasha and handed him the blood, completely ignoring the stunned look on Kagura's face.

Kagome slowly pulled Kagura off of Inuyasha and helped him to his feet. "Come on lets get you to the bathroom." She led him back to the restroom where he had been in earlier; Kagome disregarded the 'boys only' sign and guided him up to the sink. Inuyasha sat down on the counter as she unscrewed the bottle's cap hastily, throwing it to the side before she handed the blood to Inuyasha. He gulped down the refreshing elixir.

He felt his energy running back to him rapidly. "Is that better?" Kagome asked worriedly gazing up into his slowly focusing eyes. She giggled as she wiped a small trickle of blood from his chin. "What would you do without me?"

Inuyasha snorted. "No clue."

Kagome and Inuyasha both turned their heads in unison when they heard the bathroom door swing open. Hojo peeked his head through with his bloody nose, but the second he recognized Inuyasha he hightailed it in the opposite direction, sprinting through the door.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a raised eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

He smirked knowingly and shrugged his shoulders. "Hell if I know."

* * *

Kagome yawned as Inuyasha carried her up the mansion's front steps. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder during the bus ride home. He laid her down gently on the lush living room couch. A small smile carved into his gentle features. He grabbed a spare blanket, which was draped over the back of his armchair, and tucked it around the sleeping girl. He grabbed a throw pillow that Kagome had found at a yard sale and laid it under her head before he brushed her bangs away from her face.

He sighed, _vampires never sleep…never dream…never rest_. For the rest of the night Inuyasha sat in the chair across from his new companion's sleeping form and stared at her, never letting himself tear away from her closed eyes, flushed cheeks, and small breaths during her sensual slumber. And through his long and watchful eyes of the night he realized what it was like to love someone again, someone who couldn't love him back.

* * *

Kagura groaned angrily. "How dare that Higurashi." She screamed forcing Kana to have to cover her ears. I was just about to help that guy when she came tramping up to us and interrupted."

Kana just rolled her eyes as she twirled a lock of her curly white hair around her finger. She stretched out in her pajamas trying her best to ignore the other girl beside her. _Why I ever agree to these sleepovers is beyond me_.

Kagura slowly crawled out of her bedroom window from the first floor before she glanced around looking out in the darkness, she couldn't see anything. "You coming?" she snapped up at Kana as she slowly stepped through the window.

"Honestly," Kana snapped. "Hojo's your boyfriend. Why in the hell are you dragging me out just to go see him? Why do I have to come?"

"Because I said so!"

* * *

A young man in a long black trench coat slowly walked along the pitch-black streets of the small suburban town. He laughed to himself running his long fingers through his long white hair. "Man it's good to be home!" His voice was rough and stern yet soothing in a seductive way. He glared across the street as two young girls walked across the sidewalk. They didn't seem to notice the man in the black leather trench coat; their attentions were directed elsewhere.

"I wanna go home." One girl whimpered.

The other, taller one just growled at the smaller girl beside her. "We're going to go see Hojo and that's final!"

_I'm a little hungry_. He admitted to himself as his red beady eyes scanned the girls through the darkness.

* * *

Okay I know what you are thinking, Kagome and Inuyasha are way out of character, they fell in love way to fast, and why did I put Kagura dating Hojo instead of Kouga; I have answers for all of these. #1…oops is all I have to say, I didn't mean to put them so much different then what they used to be. I'm sorry. #2 I know they fell in love too quickly and I apologize. I'm just used to my stories starting out with them hating each other and I wanted to do something different. I don't think I've ever written anything that was romantic before so I had to do it…and I'm sorry that he's a vampire too. I don't write a whole lot of fanfiction and even though it's probably been done, I've always wondered what Inuyasha would be like as a vampire. #3 I can't help it…I love Kouga, next to Inuyasha he's my favorite character…so I couldn't bare to make him be an asshole. So poo…I'm sorry. 


	4. Midnight Detectives

**CHAPTER FOUR: Midnight Detectives**

Kagome yawned as she slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she glanced around the large scaled living room. She yawned again smiling up at the face hidden in the shadows.

"Morning," she giggled standing to her feet. The warm aurora air swept in and caressed her bare arms; the sun's rays pouring in all around her. That's when she noticed all the boards had been taken down from the windows. "Where have all the…" But Inuyasha cut her off.

"I thought a little sunshine might do me some good."

Kagome shined him a genuine smile, forcing Inuyasha's dead heart to leap into his throat. She was such a majestic creature, with her long raven hair, simply pale skin, soft peach lips, frosty pink cheeks, and her soulfully mesmerizing bright green eyes. It was true, Inuyasha had only known this girl for such a short time, and yet he had already given his heart to her. He blamed those eyes, those soul-stealing eyes.

"Sunshine?" she giggled. "You know…if you were soulless you'd be going up in flames right now?"

Inuyasha smirked. "It has almost an enticing affect doesn't it?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. He always did that to annoy her; he'd act as if he was actually attracted to her just to get her hopes up. She hated his mind games.

Inuyasha stared at her as she stretched out her arms high above her head. Inuyasha felt so drawn to her sometimes, he loved her, in a strange way. But deep down Inuyasha knew it could never be, he was a monster inside and out, and she was innocent; oh how innocent she was…and as a demon of the night he desired nothing more than to corrupt her. He had to distance himself as best as he could from Kagome, for Kagome's sake.

He didn't know why he loved her so much, possibly because of her, he felt alive again. Her presence was awakening, she brought back memories to him, not cold and lonely memorize or tortuous and painful memories, but dreams of his old life, happy memories, ones long forgotten until now.

Kagome groaned as she glanced down at her appearance. She was still in her black dress, which was now wrinkled from her tossing and turning throughout the night. She gazed up at a mirror across the hall to see her reflection in the mirror; her hair was no longer in perfect ringlets but now wavy and messy, framing her gentle face. Inuyasha thought she was beautiful; of course, he had come to learn that over time he was quite biased when it came to his opinion of her.

Kagome let out a deep sigh as she collapsed back onto the couch and laid back down, her gaze focused on her high heel pumps lying on the floor before her. She glanced up at the vampire sleepily; her sparkly eyes filled with a childish grace. "Can I go back to sleep now?" she groaned

"Nope," he sighed. "You're not going to sleep the day away…not on my couch. I guess I'll go fix you some breakfast…what would you like?"

Kagome closed her eyes and smiled, she looked quite angelic in this form. "Bacon," she giggled. "And pancakes and eggs…" she peeked through her unruly hair up at him. "And toast," she thought for a moment. "Make that French toast."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and nodded before he bowed dramatically. "As you wish my lady," he impersonated a faulty French accent before he left, disappearing into the kitchen. Kagome stared after his retreating form until it was completely out of sight.

"What am I gonna wear?" she thought aloud, and Inuyasha with his sensitive hearing caught her words with ease.

"I'm sure I have something you could wear."

Kagome shot up; now her heart was leaping into her throat. "What?" she gasped. "Me? Wear something of yours?" she whispered to herself, she didn't know why but that thought embarrassed her to no end. The thought of wearing his cloths made her skin tingle.

Inuyasha just chuckled. "Don't worry, Missy. You'll get taken care of."

The raven-haired girl only nodded.

Inuyasha returned only a short while later, with her breakfast plate. He sat the food down on the rickety old coffee table; he had to place a book under one leg to keep it from rocking. Kagome sat down on the floor; her mouth watering at the scrumptious meal prepared especially for her.

She took a bite of her toast before she gave him a warm thank you. "Wow," she giggled; her mouth still full of food. "This is the best meal I've had since…since the last time you cooked." She smiled at him, as he sat down across from her with his own plate.

* * *

Kagome moaned as Inuyasha drug her up the steps. "You can't wear that all day," he sighed back at her. 

She shook her head. She'd willingly wear this dress all day than wear something of his.

"Come on, I'm sure I have something that will fit you."

He pulled her up the steps and all the way to his bedroom. Inuyasha rummaged through the dressers and closet, until he produced an over sized T-shirt from a has-been band and a pair of worn paint covered jeans…woman's jeans?

"These were Kikyo's…I think they should fit." He gave her a slight smile before he walked back out of the room letting her change in peace. Kagome stared down at the clothes he was giving her. She didn't understand. She didn't know what she didn't understand but she was still confused. Maybe it was because Inuyasha was talking about Kikyo willing.

When Kagome had changed, she went back downstairs, still yawning all the while. She noticed Inuyasha standing in front of the TV, watching what sounded like the news, absorbed in the broad cast. He almost looked a little too interested in the TV for Kagome's comfort…he supposedly hated the thing.

"What's wrong? She asked smiling down at his shirtless back from the top of the stairs. Inuyasha turned around with a grave look on his face; Kagome stared back at him worriedly. "What's wrong?" she repeated.

"I think you need to see this." He stepped aside revealing the TV screen to her.

A middle-age man sat behind a desk chatting away, Kagome recognized him as the local newscaster, Monten Matsunaga. "We've just received breaking news." Monten exclaimed, readjusting his toupee. "_Earlier this morning the authorities located the missing body of the young Nauru Tomoku. The teenager had been reported missing a month and a half ago by her parents. Nauru was found dead at six 'o' clock this morning on her parents' front door steps. So far, the authorities have yet to discover the cause of death for this runaway, the only marks found on the body were two rather odd parallel puncture wounds found on the crook of her neck. But these are not deep enough to have been fatale. Oddly enough, her blood seems to be drained dry. The wounds themselves are a mystery. The puncture wounds seem to be in the same size and width of each other, but one is deeper than the other. There are specialists looking in on the homicide/suicide weapon at this time. If you have any information concerning this case please call this number._" A local fire department number appeared on the screen under Monten.

Kagome stared up at Inuyasha in horror, both knowing exactly what the other was thinking: vampire. The two of them stared off in silence, both to frightened to think. It wasn't that a vampire wasn't a rare commodity…that wasn't it at all. It was the fact that this girl was so young and Kagome had known her…Nauru had been in one of her classes.

It had been a long time since a true vampire killing, because of the way the humans were growing intellectually, the vampire race had been slowly dying out. And because of the fear that vampires had of the humans, their weapons, knowledge, and house alarms…most vampires would never kill a victim. They mostly would just take a little bite of some hippie who's always wanted to be bitten or pick out a homeless nobody on the streets, never actually sucking out enough blood to kill them, or they would eat animals like Inuyasha. At least that's what Kagome thought until now.

Kagome slowly stepped off the stairs; she got a weird feeling every time she stared over at the television, normally she would have been desensitized when she would have heard a news report like the one she just had. But Kagome had known the girl, sure she had never actually talked to Nauru Tomoku, but she had never seemed that mean either. And that wasn't the only thing that was making Kagome uneasy, it was the fact that a vampire was back in town, something about that just didn't sound right. Most vampires these days either flocked to the over populated big city…not small town Salem, or they would stay put, like Inuyasha, but would be more melancholy and hidden…not making their presence known, which is exactly what this vampire did.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Kagome covered her mouth with her hands as she ran to the front door and flung it open; trying to get some fresh air…but the second she saw what laid on the porch she wished she hadn't…

"_Also reported missing today were two local high school students named Ms. Kagura Onigumo and Ms. Kanna Hito." _Newscaster Monten continued_. "This morning the parents of Ms. Onigumo discovered that their daughter and her daughter's friend were not in the house or in the neighborhood. Mrs. Onigumo went around at five 'o' clock, knocking on her neighbors' doors asking if anyone had seen Kagura or Kanna. According to their parents, it is unlike these two girls to just run off. The police are searching for them now;, if you have any information concerning their whereabouts please call either 911 or 555-8765._"

Kagome fell to her knees and let out a blood-curling scream forcing Inuyasha covered his sensitive ears. Inuyasha watched as Kagome collapsed to the floor, passed out.

"What's gotten into her this time-" he stopped abruptly when the scent of blood leaked into the living room. He ran over to Kagome's side to see where the scent was coming from. He stared down at his moldy welcome mat and shuddered. Well there wasn't any use searching for Kagura and Kanna anymore.

"_Also, a local drug dealer was arrested yesterday for the conviction of a drive by shooting that occurred last October…"_ Monten echoed in the background.

Inuyasha picked Kagome up and laid her down on the couch before he returned to the welcome mat where two teenager bodies laid. He got an uneasy feeling to the fact that he wasn't disturbed by two dead carcasses lying on his front porch.

He dragged Kagura and Kanna's bodies into the room, checking their necks for bite marks. Sure enough, they were there. Inuyasha leaned in and studied the wounds a little bit closer. His assumption was correct; one wound was deeper than the other. Kagura and Kanna had been killed by the same vampire that had killed the Nauru girl on TV. All three girls had two puncture wounds, and each girl had one wound that was shallower. _A vampire with a chipped fang?_

He stared at the two dead girls in horrified fixation. They were caked in dirt and blood; their clothes were tattered and torn. Their hair matted with leaves and twigs. The vampire must have dragged them into the woods and killed them there for privacy. Their skin was deathly pale, and their wide-open eyes were perpetually terrified.

Inuyasha stared at the bodies consumed in thought. The only time a vampire ever left the remains of a meal on someone else's territory; vampire, or human alike, it was as a threat…but no one knew Inuyasha lived up in the Osuwari Estate. No one…except Kagome, people knew him but none of them knew where he lived. Most people at the bars and clubs that he ever went to thought he lived in a hotel near the bank.

Inuyasha frowned as he glanced over at Kagome. No vampire had a reason to blatantly attack him, not that he knew of. In the vampiric world, he was considered a pacifist…but Kagome?

He glanced back down at the bodies. He wondered if someone had followed Kagome here…that must be it. He spoke his thoughts aloud. "No one knows I'm up here…and no one has a reason to attack me…I haven't offended or angered anyone," _lately_, "but Kagome…one of those kids at her school might have been changed." It made sense in his head. Everyone hated her there. They could have decided to take out their revenge on her with their newfound power. But there was only one way to be certain. He needed to speak to the rest of the vampires he knew in this area, they would know if anyone had been changed lately or if any new vampires had shown up in town.

Inuyasha went and hid the bodies in his cellar for preservation before he grabbed his jacket, draped it over Kagome, and picked her up, carrying her all the way to the bus stop on the next street corner. He wanted to leave her at home, but by the off chance that the vampire that had threatened her was still in the woods hiding; Inuyasha carried her with him. She was safer with him…even if he was about to take her into a vampire nest.

* * *

By the time Kagome woke up, they were already halfway to their destination. She sat there silently, succumbing to the rocky bus, letting it knock her around without complaint. She stared endlessly at the floor never once speaking a voluntary word. 

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha sighed as he readjusted his jacket around her, since she was refusing to do it herself.

She just nodded. She had seen her first dead body and it had put her in a state of shock. Her mind was jumping around doing summersaults. What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to tell anyone? Would she be blamed as the murderer? Would Inuyasha get blamed as the murderer? How would people react if they found out Kagura and Kanna were killed by a vampire? Would Inuyasha be killed because he was one? Were Kagura and Kanna killed by more than one vampire? Were they really dead? Could they have just be sleeping? What did Inuyasha do with Kagura and Kanna's bodies? Did this really happen? Was Kagome dreaming? When was this nightmare going to end?

Inuyasha stood the second the bus pulled to a halt. He helped Kagome to her feet, who of course stayed annoyingly silent.

He led her out onto the bus stop, and as Kagome looked around, she realized they were at the subway station. Kagome followed Inuyasha down the steps that led to the below ground railroad. He took hold of her hand and led her into a shadowy corner, where he waited for everyone to board onto the metro. The second it departed at a bullet's speed Inuyasha took Kagome and led her into an '**_authorized personal only_**' area by pushing through a small swinging metal gate. They entered into a dimly lit hallway that was damp with mildew.

He whispered to Kagome to be as quiet as possible when he came up to a fork in the passage. He went left, winding through it until he came to a large rusty door that had '**_sewer entrance_**' spray-painted on it. He opened it slowly, so as not to let it creak. He jumped down the steps, landing in yet another passageway; only this one had a rounded roof with pipes following all around the ceiling, weaving in and out of each other.

Kagome shuddered. It was cold in there, so cold that it brought her back to the living. "Where…where, are we going?"

Inuyasha smiled at her as he helped her down the slippery steps. "To ask a few friends some questions."

"Friends?" Kagome stared down at the floor, watching as a rat scurried by.

Inuyasha nodded.

"Friends who live in the sewer?"

Inuyasha sighed, he couldn't resist the inevitable. Might as well tell her now. "They're vampires."

"Vampires? As in plural?"

Inuyasha nodded.

Kagome went to run back up the steps, she'd had enough bloodsuckers for today, but Inuyasha grabbed her by the back of her shirt and tugged her along behind him. "Trust me…you're safe as long as I'm with you." He called back to her. "I'll protect you, I promise."

Kagome tried to elbow him in the ribs, but she just ended up hurting her funny bone and making Inuyasha laugh.

"Can't hurt me, Sweetheart." He mocked her, pulling his tough guy act on. She utterly hated that act.

Inuyasha dragged Kagome for a good hour down the passageway until he came to one last door, this one had a circular handle like a fault did in the bank, it was sealed watertight. He twisted the handle hard until it opened…revealing a small room beyond that. Inuyasha pulled Kagome into the room, locking the airtight door behind them.

He walked up to a small off-white wooden door, covered in warning signs. He knocked on it, and to Kagome's surprise a small window opened up in the upper center of the door, revealing a pair of animal amber eyes.

"Password?" the owner of the eyes growled gruffly.

Inuyasha's equally as amber (if-not-more) orbs rolled. "Just tell Kouga I'm here."

"I said what's the password punk."

Inuyasha snorted. He didn't know it. He glanced down at Kagome. "I'm warning you now, Kagome. There's going to be some things in here that you're not going to like. Some pretty scary, gross, and disturbing things. In here you're just a meal…so stay by my side at all times. If you don't you could end up as one of the girls you're probably going to see in here. So no matter what never leave my side. Promise me."

Kagome nodded shakily. "I promise." She didn't like the sound of this place.

Inuyasha turned back to the amber eyes in the door. "Tell Kouga 'Inuyasha's here'."

The eyes narrowed. "Inuyasha Osuwari?"

Inuyasha nodded, as surprisingly the door opened. Inuyasha took Kagome's hand and led her into the vampire nest.

Kagome scanned around the room in complete horror. The room was large, filled with old thrown out sofas and couches all of them were covered in dried blood…and _other_ things. There were vampires everywhere. Some were eating on a meal they'd brought home, mostly girl victims. Kagome shuddered. Some of the vampires were making-out in a large heap, using their victim's blood to draw on each other. And some to Kagome's distaste were in the middle of an act that Kagome wasn't too interested in watching, but they didn't seem to care that everyone else was able to see them.

One vampire, a vampire with red eyes and long black hair that he had pulled back in a braid, stood up and walked up to Inuyasha with a smirk. "Well if it ain't the vampire with a soul," he tsk'ed. "Finally come to ditch that heart of yours and join us?"

Inuyasha glared at him.

"Ah come on, Yash. All you have to do is take the blood of an innocent and you could be one of us. You could be a member of our pack."

"Forget it, Hiten," Inuyasha snapped. "There is no way in hell I want to become one of Kouga's lackeys. Besides…why on earth would I give up being able to walk during the day?" He smirked. That was the one thing that Inuyasha liked about his soul the most. Most vampires couldn't walk in the sunlight…but he could.

Hiten ignored Inuyasha and turned his attention to Kagome. "You brought a human…she's alive I can smell her blood pumping from here. Oh she's nervous. She's a pretty thing…bet she tastes good." He went to touch Kagome put Inuyasha stopped him.

"Don't even think about touching her," Inuyasha hissed as he shielded Kagome with his own body.

Hiten chuckled. "So…is she an offering for Kouga…you know I have to give a poison test for all of his food?" He began to drool.

"No way I'm letting you or that asshole touch her."

The red eyed vampire snickered. "You're bold to call master such a name. You have balls, Inuyasha. So…is this lovely little morsel a concubine of yours or something?"

"Yes."

Kagome smacked him. "A concubine? No way in hell am I your whore," she hissed at him.

Inuyasha sighed before he whispered in her ear. "It's better they think you're a concubine than a meal…as long as they think you _belong_ to me they won't bother you…but the second they find out you're free turf…you're a full course cuisine."

Kagome gulped and nodded.

Hiten chuckled as another girl vampire, scantily dressed, walked up and wrapped her arms around him. "Hiten," she whimpered. "I wanna play…will you come play a game with me." She asked seductively before she eyed Kagome. "What a pretty little girl." She licked Hiten's neck. "Can she play with us too?"

Hiten pushed her off of him. "Not now, Satoru."

"Ooh…" she whined. "You're no fun." She went off to find another male playmate.

Hiten finally getting down to business asked Inuyasha and Kagome to follow him. They obeyed.

He led them past the room filled with vampires, and into another one, and another. It was like a chain of five rooms, each filled to the brim with the undead. When they reached the last room, Hiten asked them to wait outside the door as he went and announced them to his sire.

But Inuyasha didn't wait for him to return; he kicked the door down and led Kagome into the final room.

Kagome's eyes widened. This room was surprisingly cleaner than all the others, and the furniture was infinitely nicer. The only thing that disturbed her was the dungeon like shackles and leg irons that were lined all along the wall, many of which held women captive, and some of the women were being taken advantage of by male vampires right in plain sight.

Kagome felt tears sting her cheeks. This is what Inuyasha had meant by Kagome becoming one of the women she would see in here.

Kagome's eyes fell on one couch that had a rather young looking vampire lounging in it. He looked to be Inuyasha's age. He was a handsome thing, with sky blue eyes and long black hair pulled back into a high ponytail. _What's with it and male vampires keeping their hair long? Inuyasha, Hiten, and now this guy_.

The vampire on the couch, who was being _taken care_ of by five females, smiled up at Inuyasha. "Well, well, well; if it ain't the pussy with a soul. Long time no see, Osuwari."

Inuyasha collapsed onto one of the couches. _Ewe gross_. Kagome just stood by him. Who knows what kind of diseases were on those couches.

"Yeah, yeah; I'm not here for small talk, Kouga. I've got some questions for you."

Kouga, the vampire with blue orbs, suddenly became very serious. "Everyone out!" he ordered. All the vampires obeyed, until only the women chained to the walls, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kouga remained. "So…what's so important that you have to break my damn door down?" he laughed.

"I need to know…has you or any of your lackeys sired any high school students lately?"

Kouga frowned. "Not that I know of…you know we vampires don't like to waste the blood on the young. They're too reckless. Like us." He chuckled.

Inuyasha persisted. "I'm serious, Kouga. We're not going to go back to the good 'ol' days when we were in high school. I need to know if anyone has been turned into a vampire lately...anyone who would have a connection with her." He gestured to Kagome, finally bringing her to Kouga's attention.

Kouga stared her up and down. "Why? She been threatened?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Two missing girls from her high school just walked onto our porch and stabbed themselves in the neck twice with a pencil…you know, the usual."

Kouga rolled his eyes. "You always were sarcastic. But I'd know if we'd added more members to this nest…we only feed not sire. And I would personally know if one of my tribe members had tried to threaten you or her."

Inuyasha sighed. He had traveled all this way for no answers. "You're positive no new members?"

Kouga nodded. "Just take a look at this place…we're running out of room. I can't afford any more mouths to feed…but…" he eyed Kagome's pretty face, "I'd make a consideration changing that for her."

Kagome shivered as her eyes wandered to the crying women chained against the walls. That's it, she couldn't take it anymore. She turned on him. Even if he was this big, powerful vampire Kagome wasn't afraid of Kouga…as long as Inuyasha was there of course. "How can you be so damn heartless you damn vampire?"

Kouga and Inuyasha looked at her in shock.

"Look at all these poor girls…how can you just let them lay there in pain? How can you be such a damn monster? What did they ever do to you? They're just helpless women." She clenched and unclenched her fists. "I outta stake you."

Inuyasha and Kouga stared at her as if she had two heads, obviously that was not the reaction either one was expecting.

"Well?" Kagome snapped.

Kouga sighed as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, sticking it between his lips. "You're little girlfriend's got quite the mouth," Kouga chuckled to Inuyasha. "I like her already. You feel sorry for the girls?" he sounded as shocked as he was.

Kagome nodded, her eyes still dangerously narrowed.

"You wanna help the girls?" He stared at her in bewilderment.

She nodded again.

"Fine, be my quest. I really don't care much for them; it's my men that like to have them around."

Kagome just ignored his words. "Where's your bathroom?" her voice sounded like she was talking to a puppy who'd just messed on the carpet, which is what she was thinking. This place looked so nasty she wouldn't doubt if they acted like dogs. And Kouga sensed this…being able to read minds came along with the undead package for a sire.

He smirked. If she was going to treat him like an animal he'd act like one. "You're standing on it. We just use the floor."

Kagome shrieked as she leapt clear ten feet into the air, sending Kouga into a laughing fit.

"I was just kidding, Missy. The bathroom is over there." He pointed to a door across from him. He watched as she stormed into it before he turned to Inuyasha. "If I didn't know any better, Osuwari…I'd say she was Kikyo."

Inuyasha growled as he returned to his original subject. "What about any new arrivals. You know about all the emigrants that pass through here…you let them use your sewers for travel during the daylight…surly to God you've noticed a new vampire."

Kouga thought for a moment and then shook his head. "I've had all kinds of demons; werewolves…hell I think I even meet the Lockness monster the other day, but no vampires; not for a good year or two at least. You know all these new bloods…they're all into the big exciting cities…they don't appreciate the quietness of a small town. Nobody comes around here anymore…not since the Salem Witch Trials anyway…too afraid of being burned at the stake." He chuckled. "And they don't even do that anymore."

Inuyasha nodded. He hadn't been alive then, but he knew all about the Witch Trials.

Kagome stormed back out of the bathroom, to Kouga's surprise, with a washcloth. He watched her as she began wiping the girls' faces clean. But Inuyasha didn't seem that shocked, he knew Kagome and her kindness well.

"You do realize those girls are vampires right?" Kouga called at her.

"No shit, Sherlock," Kagome snapped at him.

Kouga's jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me that even though they're vampires you want to help them? These girls wouldn't hesitate for a second to bite you."

Kagome just ignored him. "Do you have a key for these locks?" she barked.

Kouga's eye twitched in annoyance, he'd never had someone talk to him like that. He had a good mind to say something but he knew better. Inuyasha would kill him if he even tried. Kouga was strong, but not as strong as Inuyasha; but what Kouga lacked in strength he made up for with brains. "Why on earth do you want to let loose a bunch of starved monsters like them?"

Kagome hmphed, "They're not monsters. They were human once you know?"

Kouga stared at her dumbfoundedly. This girl couldn't be serious. "Really now?" he laughed. "So was the vampire that killed the people you found on your doorstep this morning. According to Yash here you knew the victims…what a shame." His laughing became louder.

Kagome's eyes glazed over as she froze, giving the wall a penetrating gaze. The bodies? Kagura and Kanna? They may have been mean to Kagome but they didn't deserve a fate like that. No one did.

Inuyasha jumped up and grabbed Kouga by the collar of his shirt. "Don't ever say that again." He hissed as he pulled a wooden railroad spike out of his pocket.

Kouga gulped. "Calm down, Inu."

"Don't tell me to be bloody calm…death's not funny, Kouga…not to me at least."

Kouga sighed, "Alright, alright. If I promise to keep a look out for new vampires will you not stake me?"

Inuyasha held the wood close to Kouga's heart, never once moving it away. "He has a chipped fang…the right one."

Kouga nodded. "Anything else? appearance maybe? What's this dude look like?"

Inuyasha retreated his weapon and sighed. "I don't know…hell I don't even know if it is a guy." Inuyasha turned to look over at Kagome, who was trying to talk to one of the vampire women.

"Why do you do this?" the vampire hissed as Kagome tried to wipe some of the dirt off the vampire's face.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." She really didn't; inside her senses were screaming that these things were killers…but Kagome was so use to Inuyasha that she didn't believe that they could be that evil; then she remembered Kagura and Kanna.

"Do not feel sorry for me," the vampire hissed as she tried to kick Kagome away. "I don't want your sympathy."

Kagome ignored her. This vampire was the one she felt the most sorry for. She had no cloths on at all, but since she was so dirty, you couldn't tell. Kagome took her coat off and set it on the vampire's lap, covering as much of her skin as she could. Inuyasha didn't really need that coat anyway.

Kagome didn't understand why Inuyasha was just standing there and letting these women be treated like this. She didn't understand how he knew about it and did nothing. Could he be just as heartless as the monster Kouga?

Kagome turned to glare at Kouga. "Why are these vampires chained to walls while the others get to walk around?"

He sighed, messaging his temples as Inuyasha answered for him. "They're not vampires from this nest…they're basically prisoners from another vampire clan." Inuyasha frowned. "Remember when I told you most vampires hate each other?"

Kagome nodded.

"Well this is what happens when two clans get into a war. Prisoners are taken in as slaves…"

Kagome's eyes grew sad.

"Or we do this when a vampire goes against the rules and desecrates their sire." Kouga added.

"You mean because some of these women weren't bitten by you or did something you didn't like you turned them into slaves?"

Kouga nodded. "How else are we supposed to keep order? And don't even start on me because I know for a fact from when I fought in Vietnam with Inuyasha that humans do the exact same thing."

* * *

The man with the long white hair stood solemnly at the top of a hill that overlooked the Osuwari Estate, a smirk spread across his face. The sun had set into blackness that only he and the animals could see through. It was a windy and moonless night. 

"Stupid fools." He chuckled to himself as he watched Inuyasha and Kagome returning to the manor.

A woman who was standing behind the silver haired man sighed as she manicured her long fingernails. She bit her lip by accident, her own fang sinking into her skin. "Shit!" she cursed. "I'm never going to get use to this."

The man turned around to glare at her. "You will soon enough my dear." He walked up and ran his fingers through her short silky black hair.

"I don't know master," she whimpered, but he cut her off with a deep kiss.

If you had seen this couple together in a normal surrounding you would have shaken your head in disdain. This man was obviously in the latest stages of his twenties while this woman…or should I say girl, looked to be maybe fifteen or sixteen.

"But my lord…" she whimpered against his kisses. She didn't much like him taking advantage of her, but now that she was a vampire and he her sire; she would soon learn to accept it.

"Hush," He scolded her as he began to lift her shirt up over her head. "I saved you…I could have just left you to die like your white haired friend but I gave you a drink of my own blood…you owe me this, Kagura."

She felt a slight tear trickle down her cheek as she nodded. "Yes."

"Yes, Master." He corrected her.

Kagura gulped. "Yes, Master."

He just smiled at her before he kissed her neck. "It's alright," he whispered into her ear. "I'm not going to hurt my own child…I'm your father now."

"Y-yes, Master."

"Don't worry girl…you're just use to having the load of a soul…you'll get use to the emptiness soon."

"Soul?" She shuddered as his hands wandered downward.

He nodded as he lost himself in the scent of her hair. "Trust me, Sweetheart. You don't have a soul anymore. Before I killed you, you begged for me to spare your life…so I did."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Inuyasha smiled at Kagome as he watched her lay down on his couch. He could tell she didn't like being in this house anymore, not since she saw the bodies. Inuyasha thought for a moment, t_he bodies?_

He went down to his basement to check on them, walking down his creaky steps, and flipping on one of the lights. The light wasn't very bright, since his generator was so old, but it gave him enough light to be able to see that…the bodies were gone?

Inuyasha panicked, literally running circles around the room. "Kagome!" he screamed for her; not really expecting an answer.

_Oh God_. He thought. The bodies were gone. There were so many answers he could think of to their absence, and all of them meant Kagome was in danger. But the two that feared him most was either the two girls had become vampires, waken up from their dead slumber, and just walked off. Or the killer came back to reclaim his victims, trying to provoke fear that he could come and go as he pleased. Little did Inuyasha know that both were correct.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shrieked. "I'm taking you home…now."

Kagome stood at the foot of the steps. "W-wh-y?"

"Kagura and Kanna are missing. Get you're things. You're never coming back here again." he ordered.

Kagome stared at him in shock. Was he that scared that he didn't want to protect her again? wait…the bodies were missing?

* * *

Okay because of future gore, sexual insinuations, and violence the rating of this story is changing to R. I hope you liked this chapter, even if it was a bit dark. I'm pretty sure most of you have guessed who the bad guy is but hey…Inuyasha and Kagome don't…so even if it isn't a murder mystery it's still got murder and mystery in it…trust me this story's gonna have lots of carnage in it. I'm probably going to get so many flames for making this story so dark but…most of the other stories I've ever written are happy-go-lucky high school fics and I'm getting sick of it. I've wanted to actually write something that I personally enjoyed for some time now. Also, to those of you who are Kikyo haters, you might want to leave, she's not a bad guy here. No she's not coming back to life all of a sudden, I can promise you that…it's too cliché. 

Oh and no, Kouga and the rest of the vampire nest aren't bad guys either. Kouga and Hiten are like two of my all time favorite anime characters. They're so evil. . They're almost like good guys…with no souls and tastes for blood. Heh. So they're not the typical heroes…give them a break. They're so cute. And did I mention they're evil?

Got any questions? comments? Suggestions? Just leave them in a review (not an email any more because I'm grounded and I'm having to either write most of this during school, and it's against the rules to check your email. Or try and sneak onto the computer at night while everyone is sleeping.) And I'll be more than happy to answer them. Have a happy-go-lucky day,


	5. Murder Mayhem

**CHAPTER FIVE: Murder Mayhem.**

Kagome stared out of the window and out at the rain as it paned against the glass. She sighed. It had been over a week since Inuyasha had made her go home. He had told her it was all for her safety, that his house was too dangerous, but she didn't believe him. Inuyasha must be scared. _Boy was she wrong_. She thought that since this new vampire killer was after her, Inuyasha didn't want anything to do with her anymore. He was too wrapped up in that damn Kikyo…

Kagome mentally scolded herself. Why did it matter if Inuyasha was still in love with a dead girl…he was dead too. So what was the point?

Kagome stood up and took the long journey of two steps from her bedroom to the kitchen. She opened up the refrigerator and saw nothing but empty shelves and a six-pack of Bud Light of her mother's.

Kagome glanced over at Mrs. Higurashi, who was sitting in the living room smoking a pack of cigarettes. Kagome half smiled. Her mom may not be the best mom in the world, she may be a little bit self-centered and had a habit of being verbally abusive, but Kagome in some odd form loved her. She was her mother; I mean you have to love your family, even if they're not perfect.

"Reiki?"

Kagome's mother, Reiki Higurashi, glanced up from the TV and smiled crookedly at her daughter. "What'cha want kiddo?"

"Can I have one?" the teenager held up a beer. With the whole Inuyasha thing, Kagome could really use one at the moment to calm her nerves.

Mrs. Hirugashi just shrugged her shoulders. "Hell if I care…just be sure and don't…don't drink too much, Hun." Her mother smiled a little wider as she brushed a stand of her fried platinum blond hair out of her face. "Don't…make yourself sick."

Mrs. Higurashi wasn't the typical mother, she was a little on the more buddy-buddy level than an actual parent. She had been a very pretty woman once upon a time, prom queen, and all. But now, she didn't take care of herself like she use to, she'd let everything fall apart. When Kagome's father died Reiki had pretty much just decided to go wild and do everything she use to wish she could do, which of course was all the wrong things.

Kagome collapsed onto the couch, popped the lid, and took a long sip. She sank deeper into the couch cushions. This felt good, very good. Everything just seemed to go really bad lately, _from bad to worse_ seemed to be the summery of Kagome's life, so a little bit of alcohol intake could do her some good. The whole Kagura and Kanna incident was just completely screwed over. Kanna's body was found three days ago in the sewers, the sewers near Kouga and the others. And Kagura had been spotted quite a few times here and there lately at night. The police believe that she killed Kanna and ran away. And ever since then, Kagome's school had gone haywire; a murder was something that hardly ever happened in her town.

Kagome sighed as her mind wandered over to thoughts of just how weird her school had become over the last week. Now you couldn't go anywhere without a teacher following you around or demanding to search your book bag, and most of the students seemed to have gone into nutcase mode. Everyone was locking up their doors and shutting up everything. They were afraid that Kagura was going to kill them too. Kagome felt bad for Kagura's parents. The poor family had been shunned out of the area, moving back to 'home', wherever that was.

Kagome sighed. Things had gotten a little screwy, and of course Sango was just eating it all up, not that she was glad the murder had happened, but because Kagome had told her about Kagura being dead…most likely becoming a vampire. Kagome's smile widened slightly. Sango had practically had a heart attack when Kagome had told her about Kouga and the others. That was Sango for you. Sango had begged and pleaded for Kagome to take her to the nest, which of course would have been an accident just waiting to happen.

"What are we watching mom?" Kagome's gaze turned back to the TV.

"Scooby-doo."

Kagome's smile widened. What was it with her mother and Scooby-doo?

"Hey, kid?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Reiki?"

"How come you ain't going to that boy's house no more?" The widow still kept her eyes on Shaggy and Scooby as they tiptoed past the bad guy. "He dump ya or something?"

Kagome groaned. She really didn't want to touch on the Inuyasha subject right now. "Never mind. It's a really-stupid and really-long story."

"All in the past huh?" Reiki smirked. "You're sounding more and more like me everyday."

Kagome gave Reiki a fake smile. "Thanks mom."

* * *

Inuyasha sat in his living room, sprawled out in his trusty armchair. He was bored. Yes, a vampire with a soul, a vampire with the gift of daylight was bored, bored out of his mind.

Inuyasha stared up at his fancy chandelier. He sighed. Everything was so boring without her. He missed Kagome. Yep, he missed her, didn't want to admit it but he did.

"Maybe I should just stake myself and get it over with?" he dwindled for the longest time on that thought. Could a vampire commit suicide? I mean he was already dead to begin with…how can he die again? Kagome would have come up with an answer. She always did, she was like that, saying she was always right and that she knew everything. She _always_ had the answers. He groaned as he tilted his chair back as far as it would go and hung his head over the headrest, staring down at his dusty carpeted floor. The house was already beginning to look uninhabited again. He needed Kagome; he needed her badly. His home fell apart without her. But he had to let go and forget…he just had to let her go; it was for her own good. If she were threatened at this house then she'd be targeted if she were at _this_ house. Therefore, she'd be in danger if she were in _his_ house. Why did it feel like when he finally had someone to talk to the earth just laughed at him and jeered it in his face?

"People meet and people part," he told himself. "It's a fact of life; letting go." He stood up and stretched his arms high above his head; he could hear his bones snap, crackle, and pop. Inuyasha groaned. He could use a little bit of excitement, something to get his mind of his girl problems.

He grabbed his coat and sunglasses on his way out the door. A little visit to his favorite bar would be all he needed to flood Kagome as far away from his mind as possible. Or so he thought.

* * *

Kagura giggled as she twirled around in a circle, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She eyed the black satiny dress that hung loosely about her shoulders and around her knees. She'd never worn a dress this expensive or this pretty before. It was an obvious designer brand.

She stepped over a dead body and walked up to the jewelry box to glance through the 'free' selection. Her eyes fell upon a simple black pearl necklace. "Oh Master come look at this." She turned to stare at her _Master_, as she had dubbed him, who was standing behind her. His mouth was curled into a wry smile that flashed his stained fangs in the moonlight.

"Very lovely, my dear; It suits you."

She smiled as he went to put the necklace around her neck. "I've taken care of everything…not a body left alive." He announced in her ear before he nudged with his shoe the body of a young woman that was lying beside him in a pool of her own blood, his latest victim.

Kagura's smile widened as she eyed the body with intrigue. She was getting use to a life without a soul. It had its advantages, for instance she held no remorse nor care towards the lives of others.

Her sire bent down and subtly trailed a fang down the crook of her neck; it surprisingly made her feel uncomfortable. "M-master?"

"What is it?" He barked. She knew better than too ever question him.

Kagura whimpered at his harsh words. Normally she would have been considered the cruel one…or at least that's the way it was when she use to go to high school. But after meeting the silver haired man, she seemed more like a saint than a sinner, but she couldn't let herself be taken advantage of. She refused to be treated with anything less than respect…too bad he didn't see it that way.

"Should…should we really kill all these people?" truth be told, she didn't care whether the people were dead or not, she just found that when her Master was angry he seemed to be more aroused.

Master sighed; maybe he should have saved the white haired girl instead. Kagura and her manipulative ways were beginning to get on his nerves. "We need the money, Kagura."

"But couldn't we just like steal it?" she retorted as she stared down at the body of her third grade teacher. "Do we have to kill everyone? The police are going to catch up with us sooner or later."

She made another mistake. Never consider the humans as equals to the vampires. Mortals were below the nightwalkers, and therefore their laws did not apply to the vampires. Or at least that was the way he viewed it.

Master gave up all attempts of being nice; he smacked her across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her to the floor. He was beginning to wonder if his new concubine had gotten a soul on accident, which was very undoubtedly…, she was too conniving. "Do you want to die?"

"N…o."

"Then we have to sacrifice these…things," he kicked the woman, "for us to live. Don't you get it you stupid girl? These humans…these animals are nothing more than food. Food that we hunt and we kill. It's all a part of life."

Kagura nodded frantically, not wanting to be smacked again.

"Do you understand me girl?" he knelt down eye-to-eye with her, his body soaked from his victims' blood.

Kagura whimpered again, she began to loose respect for herself, she felt pathetic whimpering before him. But he was her sire…she did belong to him, no matter how much she fought it.

Master sighed as he reached out and stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry." He held no true feelings to his words. "I did not mean to be so rough or hurt you. I'd never hurt you, you know that right?"

Kagura only nodded.

"I love you…why would I ever hurt such a beautiful flower?" he ran his fingers through her lush hair. "Such a pretty flower." He leaned in and kissed her, even if she didn't kiss him back. She was his and he could do what he wanted to with her.

"Master-" he wouldn't let her talk as he entrapped her body and pulled it close to his, letting the blood that covered him seep into her new dress. He found death of others erotic.

Kagura tried to resist him but he wouldn't let her, even if deep down she'd already succumbed to him. She wanted him. He may have a sinister air about him in his amber eyes but he'd entranced her with them. She loved him, even if he didn't feel the same way about her. She was nothing but a toy, a call girl, a sex slave to him…and she was beginning to accept that. She wanted it. He was strong and graceful, handsome and protective…he was everything a woman could want…a vampiric woman, which she was. And she was his.

He pulled away from her and smirked, tucking a stray strand of his silvery white hair behind his ear. "You look like an exotic flower in that dress." He smirked. "I'm glad I ripped it off that woman before I killed her. It would have gotten ruined in that bloody mess." He frowned when he saw a dark red stain on her front. Such a beautiful thing wasted.

Kagura gazed into his amber orbs. She'd seen those orbs before, and they weren't from him. Where'd she seen those exact eyes before? She leaned back in to kiss him but he pulled away, making her feel ashamed. She knew that he could only touch her, not the other way around.

"Come girl." He stood up and helped her to her feet.

Kagura surveyed the bloody mess the room had become. She grabbed onto his hand and entangled her fingers with his; he didn't seem to notice their skins' contact. Kagura recognized all of these people, every last one of them. She even recognized the two boys lying in the corner from her Chemistry class. She pushed any remorse she held aside as she smiled up at her sire. "Thank you, Master."

He just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll find a way to repay you."

He just kissed her forehead. "You can…" he smirked again. "And you will."

* * *

Inuyasha sat at his favorite barstool, drinking his favorite beer, talking to his favorite bartender, inside his favorite bar…and he was still miserable. The bartender, a woman named Kikai, handed Inuyasha another bottle of whiskey.

"So tell me, what's gotten you so upset Mr. Doi." That was Inuyasha's alias: Jinn Doi. No one knew his true name. Inuyasha may be stupid…but not that stupid. He knew better than to give out his real name if by some chance someone recognized it.

"Nothing much, Kikai…just the usual crap…you know? The whole…I have a shitty life routine."

Kikai laughed. "Ah come on Mr. Doi…I've known you for the longest time now…going on three years…and I ain't ever seen you come in here in such a downer mood. You look to be a young man." She was a middle age woman herself, middle to late thirties. "And as handsome a fellow as you are I know it can't be no girl problem."

Inuyasha snorted before he took a swig of his brandy. "Dead on the money."

The bartender chuckled to herself. "A girl? Really? Well I'll be damned."

"Not just any girl, The Girl." He wasn't drunk, he was plastered; his words slurring into each other, reeking havoc on his sentences.

"Ah come on Mr. Doi…if this girl's gotten you all down and depressed she's gotta be something special. So what's her name?" Kikai leaned over and smiled at him enthusiastically.

Inuyasha was too drunk to have any common sense at the moment. "Kagome."

"Kagome eh? Well she has a pretty name. What does she look like?"

Inuyasha fished into his wallet and pulled out a picture of Kikyo. "Exactly like her."

Kikai studied the picture. "Why Mr. Doi…this woman's dead. I know her…she was in that Osuwari murder…my grandpa was the sheriff when this happened. He use to tell me all about it, said it was the saddest thing that ever happened to Salem."

Inuyasha nodded. "Her name _is_ Kikyo." He sometimes forgot she was dead. Kikai went to hand the picture back to him but he refused to take it. "I don't want it anymore." He sighed.

She gave him a confused look. "Are you sure Mr. Doi? I can tell this photo holds some kinda value to you or else you wouldn't have it."

"Not anymore," Inuyasha hiccupped. "That's over and done with. People meet and people part." He quoted himself. "You know, you can't hold on to past memories that'll just make your life miserable. Just keep it, I don't want that damn picture near me anymore."

"I don't reckon you were related to her by any chance?" She smiled at him as she refilled his glass.

Inuyasha snorted. "No…we weren't related," _just engaged_. "But I did know her."

Kikai eyed him strangely. "You are aware Mr. Doi that this woman died a little over fifty years ago?"

"Yeah I know…I was there."

Kikai's face suddenly turned very serious. "Mr. Doi…I think you've had enough for one night. There's no way in the world you could have known this woman." She went to take Inuyasha's glass but he just swatted her hand away.

"Trust me. I knew her."

She eyed him suspiciously. "But how? If you're only in your twenties…and she died over fifty years ago," she did the math, and there was just no way.

"I'm older than I look." He chuckled.

She still continued to eye him, annoying the crap out of him to no end.

"Plastic surgery can do wonders," he snickered. "But I did know Kikyo…and she was no comparison to Kagome. I loved them both," he hiccupped, "and even though they share the same face…they're completely different."

Kikai sighed as she poured Mr. Doi another glass. She could tell he'd had a rough week, so even though he was acting a little weird, she'd cut him some slack. "Really now?" she asked almost sarcastically. "So what was Kikyo like?"

"Like the usual rich girl," He retorted dryly. "Very trim and proper; never knew when to let her hair down and actually live a little. But she was incredibly pretty…and smart too. As a matter of fact, before she died she was accepted into Harvard…too bad she never got to go." He took another sip and let out a drunken belch. "But that's the completely opposite of Kag…the only thing that girl knows how to do is fight for her survival, she's smart…but strong and stubborn. She's surprisingly very caring and forgiving though, whereas Kikyo could hold a grudge for…who knows how many fucking years." He rapped his fingers across the counter. "The one thing that made Kikyo stand out though…was her nobility…she was so mature. She was a woman, but Kagome's still just a girl."

Kikai frowned_. Mr. Doi's gone insane_. "A girl huh? What do ya mean by that?"

"She's…not as intelligent and graceful as Kikyo ever was…but I think…I think that's why I like Kagome so much…she's naïve. She needs protecting and all that mumbo jumbo. Kikyo…she always acted like she could do better without you, but Kagome…" He smiled. "She's always by your side…all loyal and stuff, and she's been through so much…hell almost more than I have…and damn…other than getting killed, Kikyo never had a thing happen to her. I doubt she had so much as a fingernail getting broken. Never any true heart break."

Kikai's smile widened. "You know Mr. Doi…if you weren't so young…or if I weren't so old…I'd have half a mind just to take you myself. You're a good man. I can tell that by the way you hold your opinions of people…by the way you speak highly of this Kagome girl…even if she is just a girl. You'll make some very lucky girl very happy someday…once you sober up that is." And with that she walked away to talk to another customer, leaving Inuyasha to ponder on her words.

_Me? A good man? I'm dead. I'm pretty sure being a vampire doesn't go arm in arm with a 'good man.'_ He snorted to himself and finished off his brandy.

* * *

The next day Kagome groaned with a headache as she slowly sat up. Her blaring alarm clock screaming at her wasn't helping her much. She stared starry eyed around the room; her eyes were glazed over as she stumbled out of her bedroom and back into the living room where Reiki was sitting on the couch and watching the news.

Kagome's head was dizzy and out of control. It seemed like the world was rocking back and forth under her. And everything that she looked at seemed to be distorted. She had a hangover.

Reiki looked up at her daughter and frowned. "You got a hangover already." She snorted. "I told you not to drink too much."

Kagome flashed Reiki a one-fingered salute. "It's not the first time I've done this…I think I'll live."

Her mother gave her a wary eye. "Really now," she chuckled. "So my daughter's not as sweet and innocent as she claims to be."

Kagome smirked but it was short-lived when she stumbled over her own feet and landed face first on top of her cat.

Reiki rolled her eyes. "What'd I tell you young'en? You need to be more responsible with beer…if I'm not mistaken."

Kagome rolled her eyes; she was just about to shout a comeback when she suddenly had a vomiting sensation. Kagome rushed to the bathroom.

"I suppose this means you're not going to school eh?" Reiki called after her.

Kagome just ignored her; she was a little _busy_ at the moment.

Reiki glanced at the TV and let out a sudden gasp. "Kagome - come quick - look at what's on the news!"

It took the teenager a minute to stagger back into the room. She still had a dizzy lightheadedness feeling as she stared down at the age old TV with the crappy reception and the tinfoil bunny ears.

Monten sat talking away a mile a minute. "_The bodies of a local teacher and her family was discovered robbed and murdered this morning. Mrs. Yayoi Matsunaga was found brutally murdered, along with her husband and four children_. "

Kagome suddenly became very sober.

Monten continued, whether Kagome was keeping up with his words or not. "_Again, along with the previous Onigumo and Tomoku case…the crime seems to have been done with the same murder weapon…two parallel puncture wounds that are equal in size and shape…but one wound is penetrated even deeper into the skin_."

Kagome's blood ran cold. The same murder weapon…this meant that the vampire with the chipped fang must have struck again. Kagome fell to the couch. Yayoi Matsunaga…she had been Kagome's third grade art teacher.

"It's such a crying shame," Reiki gasped. "Yayoi was always such a nice woman…remember when she use to tutor you after school, Kagome?"

Kagome only nodded, too shocked to speak. She tried to say something but her mouth just couldn't seem to form the words on her tongue.

After a few minutes when she had recovered from the news, the raven-haired girl didn't waste any time. She ran and grabbed a jacket on her way out the door, not even bothering to change out of her pajamas. There was only one person she could talk to at a time like this.

* * *

Kouga sat in his chair, surrounded by beautiful women…and Hiten.

"What do you want?" Kouga snapped as he watched Hiten come gallivanting through the door of Kouga's secret quarters without so much as a knock.

"We've got problems, Kouga." Hiten said calmly, but the panic was plain as day in his eyes.

"What is it this time?" Kouga sighed. Why was it that he always seemed to get a headache when Hiten was around? A girl whimpered suggestively in her sire's ear. Oh yeah that was why…Hiten always seemed to come in and interrupt things right when they were getting good.

Hiten handed Kouga an amateur picture taken by a disposable camera. "Look who's back in town."

Kouga took the black and gray picture and stared at it for a moment. "Holy shit…how is that bastard alive…he's supposed to be dead."

Hiten nodded. "Should we warn the daywalker?"

Kouga snorted, finally coming to terms with his fear of the face in the picture. "I wouldn't give that half-wit the pleasure…besides. He'll know soon enough…" he thought silently for a moment before adding: "not to mention we don't need to worry about his ass when if this bastard's back…we've got our own that needs protecting." He frowned. "If _he's_ back…Inuyasha's not the only one that's going to be targeted…we are too." He glanced around the room at his 'family' his 'brother in arms.' He had to protect them no matter what the cost.

Kouga made his decisions before he stood to his feet and walked into the main room, so when he spoke everyone would be able to hear him. "Alright…we've got a little visitor coming. A friend of mine who's dangerous as hell and is out for revenge…this bastard's only out for the kill. I know him and I know how he thinks…hell I went to high school with him. He won't care who you are; he'll kill you. So I don't want anyone going out at night alone…we'll go in groups from now on until we're certain it's safe."

A guy went to protest but Kouga wouldn't let him. No one was to question his orders.

"And from now on…you're only to feed once a week…no more in-between snacks."

The nest chorused in groans.

"This is serious," he shouted. "We will be targeted because we are vampires. He will come to this nest…and he will slaughter each and every one of us, just because of the way, we treat the humans. We treat them as if they were precious treasures that keep us alive…he thinks of them as the cow or pig down at the slaughterhouse. No one is safe. Human or vampire alike. He will search and destroy everything that stands in his way…including his own family…just ask the dead, mutilated carcass of his mother. He's a cold-blooded killer…a traitor to vampires. After his arrival, there will be many of his kind who flock in his path. Undoubtedly, he will be recruiting an army from his own blood. He did it the last time he pulled this stunt fifty years ago. Soon there won't be a person alive that he won't be after. He will find us. He will take over out nest. And he will kill us. It's only a matter of time. If we don't act now and stop him…the Bloody War…it will come."

The rooms filled with a round of gasps.

"Surely to God you can't be serious?" One girl screamed at him. "The Bloody War is just a myth…you can't really believe in that can you…?"

"It's in the bible." Hiten snapped, as if that were the proof for everything. "Kouga's right…we're standing in the middle of the Bloody War's battlefield…all the signs show it. We've got to get out of here fast or else we're all going to end up six feet under…again."

Kouga nodded. "I can not be certain if the myth is true or not…but we should still take extra precautions."

"Does this mean we're going to have to abandon the nest?" One woman piped up. "It's our home."

Kouga shook his head. "I can promise that we will not leave the nest without solid proof of the war…but we must continue to be on high alert. If we don't…we'll end up dead…and…and we have to stop him…at all costs."

* * *

Kagome burst through the front door angrily.

Inuyasha sat in his trusty armchair, not even bothering to turn around. He knew exactly who had come knocking on his door to visit. "You knocked my damn door down again didn't you?" That would be the forth time she had done that.

Kagome smirked. "Well that's a fine way to welcome me home." She went and plopped down on the couch in front of him, swiping her finger across the coffee table to check for dust. "Have you even bothered to do any cleaning while I was gone?"

He snorted. "Nope!"

Kagome frowned, as she ignored his 'incompetence'. "Did you see the news this morning?"

"Do I look like I'm dull enough to actually watch that damn contraption?" He lied as he threw his cigarette bud at the television sitting across from him.

Kagome ignored his comment. "There's been another murder."

Inuyasha frowned. _Was it done by a vampire?_ He didn't even have to voice his question.

"It was done by the same one that killed Kanna and sired Kagura…"

"How many dead bodies in total?" he asked roughly.

"Six…two adults and four children. She was my teacher…" Kagome sniffed. "I knew these people…I use to baby-sit those kids."

Inuyasha's face fell. Who would stoop so low as to kill children? "How old was the youngest casualty?"

Kagome suddenly felt her hangover come rushing back to her. "Not even a year old."

Inuyasha leaned in and covered his face with his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. "Kagome…why did you come back here when I specifically told you not to?"

"I-I needed…someone who I could talk to and would understand." A silent tear trickled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, refusing to show a weakness. "Besides…you know I have a problem following orders."

Inuyasha sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He hated this happening to Kagome…he had to protect her. "We've got a real problem on our hands."

Kagome only nodded.

"I mean a real big problem on our hands…the Bloody War…its coming." He looked up into her confused eyes. "It's a prophecy…a war between the vampires that want to rule over the humans and the humans themselves. The battle is supposed to take place on a great battlefield of darkness, a battlefield that has seen the face of the world's underbelly and tried to fight back. Salem…the witch trail…we're standing right on top of the Bloody War."

Kagome still looked confused. She was so naïve.

"If we don't do something…we're all going to die."

* * *

Alright…I think I found a way to water this story down and not have it as bloody as I had planned. Sorry but my aunt is reading this, and she'll tell my mom if it's too bad. . I'm lucky to have an aunt that likes anime though. Everyone else in my family hates it and thinks it's stupid and sacrilegious. My family's very religious. But I just found out yesterday that my Aunt Roxanne watches Inuyasha all the time and thinks his ears are dead sexy. A woman after my own heart. 


	6. Holy Beings

**CHAPTER SIX: Holy Beings.**

Kagome sat patiently at the kitchen table, rapping her fingers across the surface nonplussed. She let out a heavy sigh as she glanced up at the clock for the umpteenth time that morning; 12 o'clock p.m.

"Where is he?" she groaned. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen, but she had a slight feeling he was prodding Kouga for more information, as usual. Kagome felt a little guilty that she didn't believe him about this Bloody War business, it sounded too fairy tale-ish for her. She figured it was just a coincidence that's all, but Inuyasha was determined to stop it. He had spent the whole night pacing the living room while she tried to sleep on his couch, he had refused to let her walk home alone by herself, and she had refused him when he offered to walk her, so she had stayed.

Kagome could still hear their argument from the night before in her head. He hadn't been very happy that she'd disobeyed his orders and come back, but they both knew Kagome obeyed no one.

"Honestly," she huffed to herself. "I mean a vampire just comes and kills a few bodies without covering his tracks, that can't be too uncommon." Too bad those tracks were impossible to follow. "I mean…there's been _human_ serial killers who've killed more than that. For a vampire this shouldn't be much of anything." Kagome snorted. But then again, Salem was a very…died-down town now. No one seemed to come here anymore, and that was puzzling. People use to come from all over the world to see where the Witch Trails had taken place. But the locals hadn't really seen any new faces in months, only a few here and there. The same went with the dead. So a breakout like this probably was rarer than she thought, come to think of it…she'd never heard of this kind of thing before in Salem. Sure she'd heard of some girl stabbing her boyfriend to death with a screwdriver because he tried to rape her or some old couple being poisoned by their children for their inheritance, but never senseless killing. All that happened off in the big city where a person could get lost. But down here, where everyone knew everybody…there was always a motive.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the door burst wide-open and Inuyasha came storming in, taking his seat in his armchair, she could tell by the way it squeaked from the living room.

Kagome sighed as she walked across the hall, taking her seat on the couch.

Inuyasha at first didn't acknowledge her, but when he did his voice was just flowing with anger. "I thought I told you to go home this morning. And don't even try and use that 'it's not safe' bit again…it ain't gonna work this time. Vampires don't come out in the daylight except me."

Kagome ignored his words. "So how did it go, with Kouga I mean?"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped on her. "How the hell did you know?"

"You're predictable. So how did it go?"

He seemed to accept her presence. "I fucked it up as usual. The asshole knows something but his big fat ass won't tell me; instead he talked about his family the whole time and how much he missed them. Stupid idiot shouldn't have let himself be bitten then-" his anger disappeared with that remark, Kagome could only guess it was because he hadn't had a choice of becoming what he was either.

"So he knows something?" She thought for a second. "Maybe he'll let us trade something for the information…like…a better place to live besides that sewer. Or maybe some food from the butcher or maybe he'd-"

"I already tried that bit. And there ain't now way in hell I'm giving that bastard what he wants. Over my dead body!"

Kagome snorted. "Inuyasha, you _are_ a dead body. So what did he want?"

Inuyasha fell silent, shifting his gaze from Kagome's face to her sneakers.

"What's wrong? He didn't ask you to be his sex slave or anything did he?" She giggled.

The vampire gave her a narrowed look. "That ain't funny," he ground out.

Kagome's face fell. "Oh…I didn't think-"

"No - no - no -no. Not me." His face went bright red with a slight mixture of sickly green. "He wanted to meet you again."

"Oh." She suddenly didn't feel like they needed whatever information the vampire leader had to offer. "We need this info don't we? We need it so we can stop this war don't we?" She still didn't believe in it, but she did want to stop this murdering rampage.

Inuyasha didn't answer her; he only left her in silence. She took it as a yes.

Kagome grabbed her book bag, and began rummaging through it. When he finally looked up Kagome stood before him, with the cross Inuyasha had given her a month ago and a clove of garlic hung around her neck, a bottle of soda filled with what he could only guess was Holy Water in one hand and one of his stakes held in the other.

He gave her a skeptical look. "You can't be serious?"

Kagome glared at him indignantly. "Take me to him."

He ran his hands over his face. "Garlic doesn't work...it's only a wives tale to make women feel safe when they're cooking."

She threw it to the side, but still had the cross and whatnot. "Take me."

"Kagome…."

"Now."

* * *

He led her deeper down the sewer, turning another corner yet again, and coming face to face with a rather large and ogre looking demon. Kagome's face fell, but Inuyasha just led her around the creature and continued towards Kouga's den.

"What the hell was that thing?" she whispered as she glanced back at the monster before it disappeared around the corner.

"It was a demon. Kouga lets demons and whatnot use his sewers as a source for traveling during the daylight. He makes big bucks for it, and no one dares to threaten him since he's helping them."

"Let me guess, his motto is that people can't stab you if they've got both hands wrapped around you in a hug?"

Inuyasha nodded. "People won't harm you if they like you."

They came upon the watertight door, and almost as if it was routine Inuyasha twisted the handle with both hands, before they both scrambled into the small room and shut the door back again.

The two turned to stare at the off-white door covered in warning signs as the small rectangular window opened, this time revealing a pare of purple orbs.

"Oh…it's the puppy with the pretty fur." The eyes purred; they obviously belonged to a woman. She opened the door and let Kagome and Inuyasha enter, before she grabbed a lock of Inuyasha's hair and began running her fingers through it, and rubbing it against her cheek. "Such pretty hair."

Inuyasha uneasily stepped away from her. "Get off me, Yura."

Yura turned her playful eyes from him to Kagome and then back again. "Aww…is the puppy uncomfortable around me?" she giggled. "I take it you've come to see kouga again? And you brought a human too." She glanced at the cross around Kagome's neck and hissed. "What are you trying to do? Kill us all."

Kagome just stood boldly. "Take me to Kouga."

Yura didn't dare say no when her eyes trailed to Kagome's stake. She stumbled off in a hurry, hissing at the others to keep their distance. Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other before they turned to face the rest of the room filled with deathly still, terrified vampires.

"Maybe me bringing this stuff wasn't my smartest idea."

"Nope. But you need it if you're going to be alone in a room with that creep…but don't worry." He turned to face her. "He's too much of a bloody coward. He knows I'm stronger than he is…and that if he tries anything funny I'll set the sewers on fire during the day so he'll have nowhere to go but outside in the sunlight."

"You sound like you've done that before."

He nodded. "I use to kill vampires…thought I could repent for my sins by ridding the world of us…that's why there's so few around here today. But then I stopped, figured it was a waste of time. And that's when Kouga and his little clan came along."

Kagome stared at him for a moment, something told her there was a lot more to that story…and possibly even that short version was completely skewered, probably a lot to his own story was as well, but she didn't pry. She had done enough of that already.

Yura came back into the room, shaking slightly as Hiten came up to her and wrapped an arm around her. "He says…he would like to speak to her…alone. Which I'm sure you already know…but he says she has to put the stake and holy water aside."

Kagome was about to press the matter when she remembered that she had come to him for help, not the other way around. She gave her things to Inuyasha, with the exception of the cross that she hid under her shirt, and followed Hiten back through the chains of rooms to Kouga's personal quarters. She pulled out the cross and held it in her hand, willing it to give her the strength she needed.

Once they reached Kouga's quarters Hiten and Yura pushed her in and locked the door behind them.

"How long till you think she barbecues him with that cross?"

Hiten shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno…but I hope the elders pick me to lead the clan when he's dead."

* * *

Kagome stood solemnly against the wall, her palms were sweaty, and her body was trembling slightly. She wanted Inuyasha in there with her, but he was too cocky to admit she could be in danger as long as he was at least nearby. Kouga's room was dark, having the lights turned off, and instead there were a small handful of candles dispersed around the room, giving the room an eerie feeling that sent a chill down her spine. She glanced around and noticed all the prisoners were gone, she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. They could have been killed or set free.

She could just make out a figure standing across the room from her, but she couldn't see who it was, though she had her suspicions. She was only aware of his presence when the light would dance across him for a brief moment.

She heard him speak, calling out her name, suddenly she was more terrified of Kouga than she had been the first time. His voice sounded so much like a serial killer provoking its prey. She didn't like this one bit. What had she been thinking? coming in here alone? She had a gut feeling that she was in trouble; she read it in his eyes.

Kagome pressed herself up against the door, fumbling with the knob as she watched him advance towards her, the light flicking across his malicious face. She stared into his eyes, the only part of him that was visible without the light. His eyes were so blue…so…shiny.

Kagome tried to scream for Inuyasha, tried to call out for him to come help her…but her body was frozen, she couldn't move or tear herself away from those eyes as they slowly kept drawing towards her. She could see everything in his orbs, she could see the future, she could see the past, she could see a world without pain. All she had to do was succumb to those eyes. Kagome was almost positive she could see the pocket-watch swinging back and forth -back and forth inside Kouga's orbs.

He breathed out her name when he finally stood directly before her, but she never heard him, she was too lost in those eyes.

Kouga only smirked. He still hadn't lost his charm…or the ability to mesmerize people. He still had it. But there was something wrong with this girl; she hadn't fully given up yet. He knew she was still fighting because she hadn't closed her eyes.

"Stubborn little girl," he huffed. "Well hello." His eyes fixed on the cross. "I recognize this old tattered thing." He went to touch it but then remembered that it would harm him. "That cross use to be Kikyo's…that's the one she gave to Inuyasha. Well I'll be damned. If he gave that thing to you…you must be something special."

He bent down to look deeper into her own eyes, but they slowly closed. He smirked. "I win again. God I love doing that to people." He flipped the light switch on, filling the room with the violent yellow light. He led her farther into the room by simply giving orders, and of course, she obeyed without argument. He knew if Inuyasha found out what he was doing, he'd be a very _dead_ dead-person by sunrise. Inuyasha would personally drag him out into the sun and let him fry. But Inu was never going to know. And the girl was never going to tell anyone she had been hypnotized because she wouldn't remember.

He sat down on his couch and watched her thoughtfully as she stood stalk still before him, completely oblivious to the world around her. He inspected her from head to toe. She was a pretty specimen; just catching an eyeful of her like this was worth giving Inuyasha whatever information he needed any day. He even thought about removing an article of clothing or too, but then he thought better of it. Inuyasha would probably catch a little too much of his scent on the girl and then there would be nothing that could save him.

Suddenly there was a cracking sound and Kouga's eyes shot to the ceiling where Hiten stood upside down with his arms crossed over his chest, his braid dangling all the way to the tiled floor. Hiten haphazardly glanced around the room before his eyes fell of Kagome and his master.

"I came to check and see if the girl had killed you yet - what in hell's name are you doing?" he barked, accidentally forgetting that Kouga was an authority figure compared to him.

Kouga waved his hand dismissively. "Just having a little fun. I ain't doing anything to her…just looking."

Hiten tutted before he jumped off the ceiling, doing some odd sort of flip that made him land in a squatting position on the floor, all without making a sound. He stood up with ease.

"You know if Osuwari finds out you put his little girlfriend into a trance he's going to gut you."

Kouga shrugged his shoulders as he stood up. He went to touch Kagome's arm, meaning to pull her into a kiss, he at least disserved that much, but the second his flesh touched hers his skin became red hot. He jerked away from her, shaking his blistered limb by his side. "What the fuck - what the hell just happened?"

Hiten only snorted and rolled his eyes, surely to God he would have made a better leader than this clueless bozo. "I figured as much. She would end up being one of those HBs. Especially since she's hanging around with Osuwari." He sighed when he noticed the confused look of his sire. _What an idiot_. "She's an HB…a Holy Being…we, since we're soulless vampires, can't touch her in any way."

"What gives you the impression she's a Holy Being? I mean…it could be the cross around her neck-"

Hiten sighed. "She's glowing purple moron. Face it…she's a Holy. You can't touch her without being inflicted with pain."

"But…damn it…she is, isn't she? I've…I've heard of Holy Beings before…but what are they? Are they like those mikos that hunt down demons?"

Hiten shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose they're one in the same, I'm not really sure. They're the reasons vampires haven't taken over the world before now. But I hear their numbers are getting fewer and fewer just like us." How did this idiot become the leader? _He can't even figure out his infatuation with this girl is hopeless, even after its obvious she could kill him_.

"Where do they come from?"

But that question went unanswered when Yura dissipated into the room in a puff of smoke. She stood by Hiten, glaring uneasily at Kagome. "A Holy Being you say?" she laughed. "Never would have expected Inuyasha to fall in love with one of those. I bet he doesn't even realize she could kill him if she really wanted to."

The three exchanged looks.

"Should we tell him?" Kouga asked.

"Nah."

"Speaking of the devil…where is Inuyasha?" Kouga continued to message his hand.

"He's being his usual self, trying to threaten as much information out of the clan as possible. And the idiot doesn't think he should worry about his little girlfriend. He's too cocky to believe she could be in trouble." Yura snorted. "I bet she doesn't even know what she is." She added as an extra thought. "Just look at her, you can tell her energy is weak."

"Maybe we should have an elder look at her though." Kouga added as he poked her flesh with his finger. He jerked his hand back in pain and watched as boils began to grow at the tip of his index finger. He touched her again and watched as one of the larger boils popped and puss oozed from it. He wiped it off on his pants.

Yura rolled her eyes. "We shouldn't, you know they'd just tell us to execute her, and even though I'm all for it, you know Inuyasha would slay us all. He's a danger to our clan, Kouga. I don't know why you insist on keeping a friendship with him."

He shot her a nasty look. "I've known Osuwari since we were kids. We may act like we hate each other but we've been best friends for as long as I can remember. We saved each other's asses at least a dozen of times in the war. There's no way I'm cutting the only lifeline I have from my past. He ain't going to do anything to us if he feels the same way."

Yura scoffed. "Yeah well…not only is he an endangerment…but now even his little human concubine is too. And don't forget about you-know-who's back…he ought to be enough of a blast from the past for you."

The room fell silent until: "Maybe we should send word of all of this to Naraku. He could make heads or tails of what we need to do about the girl and 'ol' stiff face."

Kouga's anger bubbled over. "No way! Naraku skipped town years ago and left everything to me. It's that assholes fault so much happened. I don't want to give him any reason to come anywhere near hear or her."

Yura chortled. "Sometimes I wonder if you have a soul, _Sire_." She spat the word as if it were the worst insult possible. "Sounds like Inu's not the only one that's been smitten with puppy love." With that said she dissipated out of the room, making everyone cough from her smoke.

Hiten waited a moment before he gave Kouga a wary look and disappeared the same way as Yura had done

Kouga turned to look at Kagome, his hand instinctively flying to his own necklace. It was made of a small vile tied to a simple chain, but it was what was in the vile that was so precious. He had had an idea of making Kagome a vampire while she was with him just so he could see what she was like. And then when he was done having his fun he would let her drink the liquid from his necklace and everything would go back to normal as if it had never happened. But now that didn't seem like such a good idea, he didn't want to waste the one thing that Naraku had ever given to him that was actually worth something and helpful. That and the fact that if he tried to bite Kagome he was afraid his fangs might melt out of his mouth now that he knew she was a Holy Being.

He sighed as he snapped his fingers, bringing her to. She gasped slightly before shaking her head, trying to wave off the dizziness. She turned to glare up at the vampire. "What was it that you were saying?" she growled rather hotly. She hadn't even realized that something had happened.

Kouga threw on a flamboyant smile. "Nothing much Miss, just that I have this for you."

He handed Kagome a photo.

"What's this?" she asked. She gingerly glanced at the man's face. He looked strikingly familiar, but she couldn't seem to place him.

"That's your killer. It's not very good…and you can hardly see his face, mostly just his hair, but Inuyasha should recognize him."

"Who is he?"

"Inuyasha's elder brother."

Kagome's mouth fell open as she dropped the photo to the floor. "What-"

* * *

Kagome sat silently in the back seat of the bus, never speaking; never moving; never doing anything to draw Inuyasha's attention onto her. He had already asked her at least a hundred times what Kouga had told her, and every time she had answered him with a lie. "It was a hoax." She'd tell him. "He only wanted me there to try and seduce me; just a waste of time."

He never really bought it, but he could tell Kagome was nervous and upset about something so he stopped pressing the matter once he was sure that Kouga hadn't tried to harm her in any way. He just sat there with his head leaned against the window, watching the rain splash across the glass.

Kagome resulted in watching the road through the small crack in the floor. These public passenger busses were never safe anymore since the government cut its funding. She was trying her best to push the picture Kouga had given her out of her mind but no matter what that was all she could think about. Sesshomaru was alive? But how could this be? The police discovered him underground with everyone else didn't they? He was supposed to be six feet under. But something told her he had played the same trick Inuyasha had to make everyone think he had passed away.

She wanted to tell Inuyasha, really she did. But she didn't know if it would hurt him or not. She wasn't sure if they had been close. Inuyasha had been incredibly upset the first time he had told her how he had killed his brother. She knew she should tell him for his own safety. And she was going to; as soon as she was sure Kouga hadn't been playing a cruel joke. She didn't know how she was going to prove it but she was, even if she'd have to hunt Sesshomaru down herself.

* * *

The next day Kagome sat at her lunch table, chatting away with Sango and Miroku. He had pretty much become a member of her short list of friends since Sango had introduced him to her. He even knew a small amount about Inuyasha, but he hadn't been that astonished when they had told him. He was a little more on the weird side like Sango. His appearance wasn't that bad to look at though. He had hazel eyes and brown hair that he had lime green streaks dyed in, which was long but he always pulled it back into a ponytail that was even sometimes longer than the girls, reaching down to his chest. He wore mostly local band T-shirts from his hometown in LA and pants that were shredded with holes and fray. He had a broken arm, which he wore a cast over that was covered in stickers, profane words, and scribbled drawings he'd done himself from boredom during class.

"I'm telling the truth guys. Kouga told me it was Inuyasha's brother. And I really think it's true. I don't know what to do…I can't hurt him. I can't hurt Inuyasha."

Miroku ran his fingers through his bangs. "Whoa…that's deep. So that's what's been happening with all the murders that's been taking place lately? first that runaway Nauru Tomoku…and then Kagura and Kanna…and then that teacher from the middle school and her whole family? And that's just the murders we've discovered A vampire's killed all of them…and worse off he's your friend's brother?"

Kagome bit her lip and nodded.

Sango reached across the table and patted her friend's hand. "You should tell Inuyasha, Kagome. He needs to know. It'll only make him angry at you if he finds out a different way…or if you take too long."

"There's no stopping that now…I've already been lying to him. He wouldn't forgive me if he knew. I know how Inuyasha is; he doesn't do well with betrayal and things like that. But if I do tell him I want to know that it's for sure positive and that there's no possible way it's a cruel joke on Kouga's part. I don't want to hurt him and then we find out it was Kouga or Hiten or Yura doing it this whole time. I have to be absolutely positive."

"Maybe you should speak more with Kouga…sit down and talk to him." Miroku offered. "You said so yourself that you think he likes you…maybe you can seduce an answer out of him."

Kagome shook her head. "I know how to find him…but there's no way I'd go down there to his nest alone; Hiten and the others would eat me alive. I'm not dumb enough to go down there on my own without Inuyasha. They're afraid of him so they don't dare attack me when he's around."

Miroku and Sango exchanged slight looks before Sango added: "Well Kagome how do you plan to prove whether it's this Sesshomaru or not?"

Kagome banged her head down on the polished surface of the lunch table. "That's my problem," she mumbled. "If I have to…I'm going to find the killer myself."

Sango's face fell. "No. You are not to do that!"

Kagome looked up at her best friend in surprise. "But I thought you liked vampires and those kinds of things. And you want me to stop Sesshomaru before he kills someone else off don't you?"

"I do." Her voice was very stern; it even scared Miroku into scooting a little further down the bench from her. "But you do not want to meet one if it doesn't have a soul. I've read so many documentaries on them from Aunt Sabrina-sama's store. They're horrible, Kagome, they're not as _generous_ as Lestat or Louis from the Anne Rice books. What's been happening lately is only the start of it. Soon they'll start torture for the fun of it."

Kagome was suddenly reminded of the women that had been chained to the wall in Kouga's quarters.

"And that's just what they're like. Sesshomaru, if it is him; won't think twice about killing you, but he'll make sure it's _very_ slow and _very_ painful. And he will. But then again he might just do what he did to Kagura. And you do not want to be one of them either. A vampire is the worst life there is...demons look down on them, werewolves are known to rage wars with them, and so many other things. They feel nothing but emptiness inside; not to mention they can't do anything in the daylight, or the fact that you're constantly hungry. They loose their friends and family. They can't go into peoples houses without being asked. You can't even go to your own home without asking permission. And normally the only reason you're going there is because you're so desperate you're going to kill your own flesh and blood, which when you're done should haunt you for the rest of your life but it doesn't because you don't have a soul anymore. And the ones that do are the ones that I feel the most sorry for; they get turned into a monster…but are forced to live with a conscience.

"Plus they're body is dead, nothing really functions right anymore…so you're always cold. There is no such thing as body heat. And then there are those Holy Beings, you don't want those things always hunting for you and trying to kill you. And there's so much more. No, Kagome. I refuse to let you track down a ruthless killer…it's bad enough you found a vampire with a soul, one of the few exceptions to the vampire race, but I won't let you get yourself killed. You're my best friend. I refuse to let you do something stupid."

Kagome was baffled; she sat there frozen not really paying much attention to Miroku's next comment: "I wonder if they can taste things when they eat them…or stuff like that? I mean I know they _can_ eat things…but doesn't it always taste like cardboard or something?"

Sango shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure about that. But you know the best way to fix Kagome's problem don't you? without doing something irrational." She shot a glare at Kagome after that last part. "If we could just dig up Sesshomaru's grave…then we would know whether he was really dead or not. But we can't do that since he's in the Osuwari Cemetery. Inuyasha would definitely notice us digging around in his yard."

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "I thought they turned to dust when they die."

Sango rolled her eyes. "That's only in exposure to sunlight…or if they're really, really old."

Miroku nodded. "So his body would be in the casket…?"

"Mmhmm," Sango mumbled as she took a bite of her pizza.

"Maybe we can trick Inuyasha into leaving for awhile…and then we can check if Sesshomaru is still there or not." He suggested.

"That wouldn't be a good idea either. He'd notice. That house is over two hundred years old; the cemetery hasn't been messed with in over fifty. He has an acute sense of awareness of his surroundings, all vampires do it's like a defense mechanism in their brains or something. He'd notice the unturned dirt where we'd been digging. And then he'd suspect something was up, and inevitably find out Kagome had been lying to him."

"So why don't we just tell-"

Kagome suddenly came to. "What was that you said?" she blurted out. "What was that about Holy Beings?" She'd heard that before.

Sango took another bite before she continued. "Oi. They're nothing really. You know the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"

The other two nodded.

"Well that show got its idea from the Holy Beings. Only in real life there's more than just one. They're specially chosen _boys or girls_ who can kill vampires with the slightest touch or whatever. Very powerful once they realize they are one. I knew one in my old school…he'd scare the crap out of you though. He'd literally go and sit in the swamps and just wait for a vampire. He was really strong…and really strange, stranger than me…not to mention really military-like. Like him being a Holy Being or a Holy One was his duty to his country or something. He lived to serve, even if it killed him. Which I'm not sure, but I think it did. I haven't kept in touch with anyone back in Australia to really know. Though I do remember that he got his arm bit off one time when he was experimenting if his power would work on a crocodile."

"Ouch." Kagome crinkled up her nose.

"Hey these Holy Beings…how come none of them are coming to the rescue here in Salem and saving us? Well okay, not exactly save us…but stopping this vampire serial killer that's on the loose." Miroku shot out.

Sango shook her head. "It's not as easy as that. None of them come down here because of the Witch Trails…we persecuted too many of them as witches and had them burned at the stake. They all know the story. They won't help us anymore because of it. Most of them either decides to just neglect their powers and go on with their life…or they never truly figure it out. Very few of them actually realize what they are and act upon it. They're getting rarer and rarer. There's probably around a few hundred now when it used to be that every other person was one."

Miroku persisted. "But there's still that few hundred…surely to God one of them has noticed something hasn't been going right here."

Sango sighed. "You're not getting it. None of them _want_ to help."

"So they're just basically saying 'screw you, die if I care'?"

Sango nodded.

Miroku suddenly lost his boyish smile. "But they can't all hate us, I mean we're sorry for what our ancestors did in the past but come on…there's innocent people dying. A baby died for fucks sake. We need some serious help. This…thing, Sesshomaru…isn't it obvious that he's going to just keep killing and killing until we're all dead. And then he'll just move on to another town, possibly their town. They need to care."

Kagome suddenly became incredibly serious. She had never thought about it from Miroku's point of view, and probably Inuyasha's too. Now the Bloody War became very real.

Sango patted Miroku's arm. "Calm down…don't get so overworked. I'm sure Inuyasha will find a way to stop this. Right, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "Sango…what do you know about the Bloody War?"

Her face suddenly became very pale. "What did you just say?"

"The Bloody War? Ever heard of it?"

Sango only nodded. "Why-why you want to ask about that for?"

"Inuyasha mentioned something about it…he seems to think it will be happening soon and I-"

"I'll take you to Aunt Sabrina-sama." Sango interrupted.

Kagome frowned. "What?"

"I can't tell you much about the Bloody War…only that it happened along time ago and was predicted to happen again. Aunt Sabrina-sama will know what to tell you. I'll take you to her okay?" The urgency in her voice told Kagome this was a subject Sango didn't really want to get into.

Kagome smiled slightly.

"You don't-you don't think that's what's happening do you, Kagome?" Sango squeaked.

Kagome shook her head no. Something about the absolutely scared look on Sango's face made her feel like she needed to say no for Sango's sake. She felt like if she didn't Sango would crumble, an odd feeling but she did. "I'm sure that that's not what's happening. I think we're all just throwing it _way_ out of proportion. Inuyasha will stop everything and no one else is going to die. I promise."

But she would be proven a liar very soon.


End file.
